"I'll keep fighting" - 29-year-old Manchester United star says he's determined to earn his place in squad after being linked with exit

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has said that he will continue to fight for his place in the squad amidst his depleting playing time. The Englishman has started just seven games across competitions under Erik ten Hag this season and made 14 overall appearances.

The 29-year-old was recently linked with a move to Aston Villa in the ongoing January transfer window. Ten Hag even played left-back Luke Shaw as a centre-back over Maguire in a recent game. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand felt that was disrespectful towards the Englishman and urged him to leave the club.

However, Maguire has said that he will continue to battle for his spot in the team. After playing for the entire 90 minutes in United's 3-0 win over Charlton in the EFL Cup quartefinals on Tuesday (January 10), he told Sky Sports:

"It felt good. I played last week as well against Bournemouth. I was unfortunate in terms of when I come back from the World Cup, I had a bad illness, to be honest, and it knocked me back for one or two weeks. I feel good now. We have a lot of good centre-halves at this club; there’s a lot of competition for places, and I’ll keep fighting."

Through to the semi-finals ✅. Congratulations to @FPellistri07 and Kobbie Mainoo on their debuts tonight. 👏🔴 #MUFC https://t.co/F0eFQaMqOY

Maguire arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester City in 2019 for a record fee of £80 million for a defender. He has played 158 games for Manchester United and has contributed seven goals and five assists.

Harry Maguire on Manchester United needing to win trophies

The Red Devils' last trophy came in 2017 when they won the UEFA Europa League under Jose Mourinho. They haven't won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

Speaking after the Charlton game, Maguire stressed the importance of winning a trophy for Manchester United. He said:

"This club demands trophies. This club is about winning, and it has been far too long. It has been far too long for the fans, the staff, and the players. We’ve got to take each competition seriously."

He added:

"We’re still in every competition this season. Last season was a disaster in all competitions. We’re striving for improvement; we know we’ve got to improve, but the crunch time is still to come, and we’ve got to perform when it does."

Manchester United are fourth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Arsenal (43), after 17 games. They have reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they face Reading, and also the semifinals of the EFL Cup.

Manchester United through to the semi-final 🔴

Goals from Antony & Rashford secure the red devils' place in the final four 🏆

#CarabaoCup https://t.co/Y0NySSmuUz

The Red Devils face Barcelona in the playoffs for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League on February 15.