Harry Maguire is training hard to keep his hopes of staying at Manchester United alive, despite still being on holiday.
Maguire, 30, has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford. The England international started just eight Premier League games last season, with Erik ten Hag often preferring Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and even Luke Shaw at centre-back.
It's believed Maguire, who is still United's captain, wants to remain part of Ten Hag's squad and fight for his place. He wasn't due to return to pre-season until this week but decided to cut his holiday short to complete a training session with Ricardo Carvalho.
The former Chelsea star was one of the greatest centre-backs of his generation after winning trophies in Portugal, England and Spain. One of Carvalho's greatest strengths was his longevity, as he won Euro 2016 with Portugal at the age of 38.
Maguire posted photos of himself working with Carvalho and team-mate Diogo Dalot on Instagram. He added: "No limits. No excuses". Maguire also re-posted the picture of him and Carvalho to his Instagram story with the caption: "Working hard with the best."
While United have returned to pre-season, Maguire and 14 others were given an extended break after representing their respective countries in June. New £60million signing Mason Mount was among those involved in the first week of pre-season training.
Mirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here
Maguire will need to do a lot to get back into Ten Hag's plans after a difficult campaign under the Dutchman, who was appointed by United a year ago. The Englishman is the most expensive defender in history after his £80m move from Leicester in July 2019.
Maguire was a consistent performer at the heart of United's defence during his first two seasons at Old Trafford - missing just four Premier League games - but has struggled for form during the last two years. It's believed Ten Hag is willing to let him go.
The Euro 2020 finalist still has two years remaining on his contract, but United will struggle to recuperate the £80m they paid for him four years ago. They reportedly want £50m for his services, but even that will be a stretch. West Ham are interested in him.
Do you think Harry Maguire has a future at Manchester United? Let us know in the comments below!
The Hammers, who will receive £105m once Declan Rice's move to Arsenal goes through, value Maguire at around £35m. Yet they will struggle to match the United captain's wages, as he's thought to earn £200,000-a-week. A loan move could be more realistic.
Maguire needs to play more often to keep his England spot. Gareth Southgate said last month: "It is then hard when that competition gets more even and you are not playing regularly to see their form, see their fitness so that is the challenge for everybody."
Despite his recent struggles, Maguire remains an impressive player with a good CV. The Carabao Cup winner has won Player of the Year awards at Sheffield United, Hull and Leicester and was named in the Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament.
