Harry Maguire admits he does not want to become a bit-part player at Man United

Harry Maguire has admitted he doesn't want to become a bit-part player at Manchester United after being brought in from the cold by Erik ten Hag for Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup win against Reading.

Maguire started only for only the third time in 2023, and the first since a Carabao Cup win against League One Charlton, and admits it's been a new experience for someone who was one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's team sheet at the World Cup.

'I'm 29 and haven't really been in this position in my career before,' said the United captain candidly.

'I don't want to get used to it but it is part and parcel of football. I’m pushing, training well, and when chance comes, I need to take it.

'It was two-and-a-half weeks since my last start but I've felt I have looked after myself. I've been working hard in training. The lads who have been playing have been doing well. I have to be ready when my chance comes.

'We’re all going to be needed for the second half of the season.'

While England's top centre-half is struggling at Old Trafford, ten Hag was delighted with his three Brazilians Casemiro, Antony and Fred in the Manchester cold.

'We had Brazilian score all our goals and it's not the Copacabana, eh,' he said. 'I am not surprised by Casemiro. If you looked at his performances for Real Madrid, they were at such a high level, he won Champions League titles and for every manager he was the first one to start.'

Reading manager Paul Ince, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's great United team as a player, can see the progress his old club are making under ten Hag.

'No disrespect, if we had played United a year ago I would have felt he had a right good chance of beating them, teams were coming here thinking they could get something as Burnley did and Villa did,' he said.

'Ten Hag in a short period of time has lifted the club. The last two or three years have been tough for United fans. Ten Hag has started to bridge that gap. They are starting to get a presence about them. That is important, if you go back to the Fergie years there was a presence. There is no stuff coming out about fragmentation in the dressing room.'