Erik ten Hag tells Harry Maguire he needs to leave Man United if he can't 'fight for his place'

Now Eric Ten Haag has told Harry Maguire he needs to leave Manchester United if the defender doesn't believe he can fight for a place in the first team this season. Maguire is finalising his exit after a 30 million pound deal was agreed in principle with West Ham but Ten Haag remains clear that there is a place for him in the squad. So he has to fight for his place and he has the abilities to be a top-class centre-back. He is the best for England so why shouldn't he be the best for us but he has to prove it and when he is not confident enough to go in that fight then he has to go. Then he has to make the decision but I'm happy with him. You need high level players also who are maybe not now starting but that can change so there is an internal competition and everyone has to fight for his place. Okay it seems we are destined to speak about Harry Maguire and his future until something is sorted out one way or the other. Su does he simply have to leave? I think sometimes you know don't you when you're at a club and there's other players ahead of you, you're not playing, maybe you're performing in training, you're doing all that you can when you come into a side you're obviously you're trying your best maybe your confidence is down a little bit because your performances haven't been there because you're not getting picked from the manager. Sometimes you just need a fresh change and you just need to go and play your football and enjoy your football again because it just looks like at the moment he's down the pecking order. I think when you see Luke Shaw going into centre half maybe in front of you that's when you think as a player I need to go somewhere else, I need to go where I'm going to play football and start performing at the levels I know I can. As a footballer the fact that the Euros are next summer, how significant is that? He's got two years left on his contract he could think right okay I'll sit here for two years pick up the money and then I'll get a move but the Euros, is that a hugely significant thing on his mind? It should be, it should be in the forefront of his mind. I think there will be an element of well I'm still making the squads anyway and I've got the trust of the England manager even if I'm not starting at Manchester United but I think there's an element from Harry Maguire as well where he's probably thinking to himself I'm desperate to make this work, I don't want for it not to work at Manchester United so I'm going to give myself every fighting chance of playing however on the flip side of things I think he's, the crowd have been difficult with him at times and they're losing a little bit of faith in him that's relaying onto the pitch then, then you can see that confidence in Maguire's slowly getting pulled out of him at game after game. I feel really sorry for him at the moment because a lot of players go through that from the career, I suffered that in my career where I couldn't get out of that rut and I found it very difficult and you just go do you know what maybe the change of environment will change that, maybe the manager who wants me, who is willing to give me that opportunity, believes in me, that can change your mindset straight away. Suddenly he walks into a changing room and David Moyes goes come on you're going to play first team football here, I like you, you're a good defender, let's get you back to where you were, I'll get you in that England team next year, make sure that you're playing. Suddenly you feel 10 foot tall and you're thinking oh I am a player, it is there, now I know Ten Hag's saying the right thing, saying I want him to fight for his place and there's a place for him in the squad, well in the squad's not enough is it, I want my place in the team, I want to know that I'm going to be playing week in week out, if my levels are right, that he's going to back me as a manager, I don't think that's there at the moment and plus if we believe what we hear, they've accepted my bid, if you wanted them to stay you don't accept a bid. They have done business, Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Erasmus Hoylun. Nice pronunciation Rob, been working on that. Oh yeah, along with Mason Mount, I've been working on that one too. What have you made of United's business this summer? I think it's been good, Ten Hag you can see he's gradually getting the players in that he wants, to fit with the style that he wants, I think Onana, great addition, fits the way that Ten Hag wants to play, playing out from the back, very good goalkeeper. Mason Mount I think is a great sign in, coaches and managers absolutely love Mason Mount because of how he understands the game, he plays the way that they want him to play, there's no coincidence that he gets picked, he gets picked whether that's for England, whether that's for club, he's a quality player, good addition that I think will certainly fit in and then Hoylun obviously still only young, maybe a lot of pressure on his shoulders to come in, I think he might be injured at the moment, but again a lot of potential, may need time to adapt, but I think good additions and I think Ten Hag steadily building his side that he wants. Yeah, Hoylun won't feature tonight because of that injury, he came in for big money, how frustrating is it as a player? It's a bit like when I was at primary school, some kids didn't start till January, you'd start in September and they'd always be the new kids in the class however far you went through school, is that the same with the football and not being able at a new club, not being able to start a new season, does that automatically put you on the back foot in some ways? Yeah a little bit, I'd say just the integration into the changing room, showing the players in and around you what you're capable of doing, what you've been brought into the football club to do. I think there's the other side of it as well, where if the team starts well then you're fighting then to get in the team and you've signed for big money and you can become frustrated, however on the flip side of things, if Manchester United don't start well, then there becomes an even bigger pressure on your shoulders then to perform and at such a young age, can you perform at those levels?