Ex-Man Utd star reveals why he was dropped for 'sh*t in every game' Maguire

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 28 Apr 2023 07:59 BST
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only picked Harry Maguire over him because of the money that the club had spent on the centre-back.

Maguire joined Man Utd in 2019 from Leicester for a fee of €87 million – a world-record price for a centre-back – and displaced Argentina international Rojo from the team.

Indeed, the former Sporting CP centre-back, who played 76 times for the Red Devils between 2014 and 2021, would leave Old Trafford months later to join Estudiantes on loan, then completed a permanent move to Boca Juniors the following year.

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Although forced out of the club by Maguire, Rojo has little respect for the England defender.

“He was playing very well for England and in the Europa League,” Rojo told TYCSPORT via AS. “But I was upset with the manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he used Maguire to play before me. Now, fortunately, he has been removed from the team and the starter is Lisandro Martinez.”

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Rojo made Maguire ultimatum

Rojo did not take Solskjaer’s decision quietly.

“I went to the coach's office and told him: 'Either I play or you let me leave.’

“And he replied: 'I have to bring in Maguire because they paid a lot of money, he has to play no matter what.'

“And I replied: 'Son of a b*tch, put me in the team to play - Maguire does shit in every game he plays!’”

Maguire has since won few fans at Manchester United, with his performances in the 2021/22 campaign particularly lamentable and leading to new manager Erik ten Hag drafting in Martinez to bolster the rearguard.

The England international is expected to be sold by Man Utd in the summer, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) having dropped to €30m.