Nemanja Matic believes that the brutal criticism and sickening abuse which Harry Maguire has had to deal with on social media has affected his form at Manchester United.
Maguire, 30, is enduring his most difficult season with the Red Devils, currently finding himself as fifth-choice centre-back under boss Erik ten Hag. Still club captain and a stalwart for his country, the defender is eager to prove himself at Old Trafford, nearly four years on from his record-breaking £80million transfer from Leicester, but his future is under threat ahead of the summer transfer window.
Matic, who played alongside Maguire for the 30-year-old's first three seasons at United, has admitted that his ex-team-mate's situation "doesn't look great," but has also told him that he can turn things around in a matter of weeks.
"I can understand why he's playing for England, because he's a great player," Matic, now plying his trade for Roma under Jose Mourinho, told Sky Sports.
"When he signed for United, in his first season he played almost every game and he was one of the best players. The problem today is that if you play two or three games not great, with social media, everyone criticises you - and maybe that affected him for sure.
"But he has to think only about his job, because in football everything can change in a few weeks. His situation doesn't look great at the moment, but he needs to be focused. He's very professional and we'll see what the future brings for him."
Have your say! Should Harry Maguire stay at Manchester United? Let us know your verdict in the comments section.
Despite first-choice centre-back pairing Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez both being out injured, Maguire has missed the Red Devils' last three games. Firstly suspended for the recent FA Cup semi-final victory over Brighton, the former Leicester star was then injured for last Thursday's trip to Tottenham and only used as a late substitute on Sunday as United beat Aston Villa 1-0.
In his place has come Luke Shaw, usually a left-back but recently used in the centre alongside Victor Lindelof, who for most of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's tenure partnered Maguire. Shaw has shone in the new role, much to Ten Hag's delight.
"Victor is playing brilliantly, in and out of possession, defending in control but then in building up also he's composed, with good positioning," the United manager began following Sunday's hard-fought win. "Shaw likes to play centre-half – he's a full-back but he's doing very well inside.
"You need co-operation because a back four with the midfield is always about communication, but they play very well together and we're happy with that. But always also I have to say it's about the whole team. They are so determined and passionate to win games in attack but also in defence, and that's what you need if you want to be successful."
