Mnchester United defender Harry Maguire says the club is heading into the new Premier League season with renewed optimism after what he described as a difficult recent period.
United endured a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, finishing 15th in the Premier League their worst league position in decades and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Maguire believes new signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, along with a £50 million upgrade to the club’s training facilities, have lifted morale ahead of Sunday’s season opener against Arsenal.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Maguire said: “The lads are working hard and there’s a great atmosphere here. We want to be successful and we’re doing everything we can to make that happen. I feel like it’s almost a fresh start, and hopefully it’s a good one.”
The 32-year-old joined United from Leicester City in 2019 for a then world-record £80 million fee for a defender. Reflecting on the club’s struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, he admitted United have not been the best team for some time but urged his teammates to embrace the pressure.
“You’ve got to thrive off the pressure and play like you’re in the playground. That’s something we’ve struggled to find over the last 10 years,” he said.
Maguire, whose six-year spell at Old Trafford has been marked by both highs and heavy criticism, lost the captaincy under former manager Erik ten Hag and was dropped from the first team. A proposed move to West Ham in 2023 collapsed after he opted to fight for his place. Since the arrival of manager Ruben Amorim last year, he has regained a regular role, and the club triggered a one-year extension to his contract in January.
On the scrutiny he faces, Maguire added: “There’s more scrutiny on Manchester United because more people in the country hate them and that’s just a fact.”
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