Gareth Southgate concerned by Harry Maguire's lack of playing time with Man Utd

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Gareth Southgate concerned by Harry Maguire's lack of playing time with Man Utd

Gareth Southgate has admitted that he is concerned by the lack of game time Harry Maguire is getting at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.

Despite being the Red Devils captain, Maguire was restricted to just eight Premier League starts throughout the 2022/23 campaign, with a further eight appearances coming from the bench.

This lack of playing time has led to speculation that the defender could be set for a move away from Old Trafford this summer. 90min understands that Tottenham have shortlisted the defender as a potential transfer target, while there is also interest from Juventus and Inter in Serie A.

Speaking to the press about Maguire's future and the lack of football he's played at club level in recent month, Southgate admitted that it was a concern for the English national team.

"Harry is captain of an incredible football club so that is a difficult situation. He will obviously be frustrated not to play as much as he would like but I think he has handled that really well. He has publicly talked well about supporting the team," the England boss said.

"It is clear, really. I think Harry and Kalvin are the two who have played the least in terms of guys in this squad this season but we have gone with them because in these two positions we think they are still ahead of others that might have played more.

"But 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 a lack of club football, Maguire has remained a key figure for Southgate so far, playing 90 minutes in the emphatic recent Euro 2024 qualifying wins over Malta and North Macedonia.