‘Not at the level to be captain’ – Harry Maguire hammered by former team-mate Ahmed Elmohamady in damning verdict

HARRY MAGUIRE cannot ‘handle the pressure’ of being Manchester United captain, according to his former team-mate Ahmed Elmohamady. Versatile Egyptian winger Elmohamady, 34, played alongside Sheffield-born centre-half Maguire, 29, in a Hull side which won the Championship play-offs in 2016. Maguire has been criticised for a number of his displays for an under-performing Red Devils […]

HARRY MAGUIRE cannot ‘handle the pressure’ of being Manchester United captain, according to his former team-mate Ahmed Elmohamady.

Versatile Egyptian winger Elmohamady, 34, played alongside Sheffield-born centre-half Maguire, 29, in a Hull side which won the Championship play-offs in 2016.

Reuters

Former Hull City trio Ahmed Elmohamady (left), keeper Eldin Jakupovic and Harry Maguire together on the pitch in May 2017[/caption]

Getty

Manchester United captain Maguire wore a skipper’s armband featuring the colours of the Ukraine flag for their March 2022 derby with Manchester City[/caption]

Maguire has been criticised for a number of his displays for an under-performing Red Devils side this season.

Many have said former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a mistake by naming the him their new club captain in January 2020.

And 92-cap Egypt star Elmohamady, who is a free agent after his release by Aston Villa last year, agrees.

He told beIN Sports: “‘Harry was with me in Hull City and, in my opinion, he doesn’t have the level to be the Manchester United captain.

“Man United need a player with a strong personality and I hope that the next manager will give the captaincy to Ronaldo if he stays.

“Ronaldo can handle this responsibility and pressure. However, Maguire can’t handle this pressure.

“So I think that the pressure he has by wearing the captain’s armband is affecting his performances.

“Maguire performed really well with Leicester, a team that competes to be in the top six of the Premier League and maybe this is his level.

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“He doesn’t have the level to play for the biggest team in the history of England.”

Maguire left the Tigers in 2017 to make a £17million switch to Leicester and was their player of the season in 2018.

His form earned him the first of his 41 England caps in 2017 before he became world’s most expensive defender when he made an £85m move to Old Trafford in August 2019.

Elmohamady also left Hull in 2017 to join Villa and was released after his contract expired last year.