has defended ’s captain following their embarrassing exit.
United were woeful as they were beaten 3-0 (5-2 on aggregate) in Sevilla on Thursday night, with a mistake from Maguire and David de Gea handing the Spanish side the lead after just eight minutes.
Though De Gea was rightly criticised for not one but two costly errors, – as his been the case all the season.
The England international is not Ten Hag’s first-choice but has been forced to start the last few games because of injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
And he’ll no doubt be in the starting XI again on Sunday when the Red Devils travel to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.
Though many tip Maguire to leave Old Trafford in the summer, Ten Hag has once again defended the 30-year-old, hailing his work on and off the pitch.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Dutchman said: ‘He has an important role, he is the captain, he leads and he communicates with the manager, motivates the team, he’s the example in the training space.’
In the wake of the defeat to Sevilla, it has been reported that as many as 15 United players could be sold as part of a major summer clear out, but Ten Hag has remained coy on whether his squad are playing for their futures at the club.
He added: ‘I think we always playing for our future as professional players. Every game is a test, every season is a test, you have to earn the right to wear the shirt.
‘It’s for me as a manager. We are in the same boat. During the season we make huge progress. We have the experience but we have a way to go.
‘A good thing is Sunday is a huge opportunity, semi-final of the FA Cup, a better event you can’t imagine, after that a lot of great games to go, we have to prove it and this group of players has to prove it.
‘It’s great to be part of Man United, to be part of this football club, but the flip side is you have to prove it every game. That’s what we have to acknowledge and be aware of it, you need to prepare every game for the fight.’
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