Solskjaer confirms he has no plans to take captaincy away from Harry Maguire

"He's been an absolute stalwart on and off the pitch for us since he came in and he's been a true leader in all aspects."

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has insisted that he has no plans to take the captaincy away from Harry Maguire. The United and England defender has come under fire in recent weeks for performances on the pitch at club level and recently received criticism from ITV pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright for his celebration in England's win over Albania, which Keane labelled 'embarrassing.' Maguire himself responded to the claims, suggesting that the celebration wasn't directed towards anyone in particular.Yet, at club level, there have been calls for Solskjaer to take the armband away from the 28-year-old, but the Norwegian quashed those claims straight away and confirmed he has no plans to replace his current captain. In an interview on the official United website, he said: "No, I have not considered taking the captain's armband away from him. "He's been an absolute stalwart on and off the pitch for us since he came in and he's been a true leader in all aspects.

"We've all been very happy with him and we will back him because he is such a top professional. He is going to prove those critics wrong.

"I know the so-called experts have their opinions, and that's their job to put their opinions across, but that's not something we have to worry too much about.

"As a true example of a Manchester United player, Harry is always there for his team and his country."

Solskjaer himself has also come under huge pressure and is facing a must-win fixture against Watford on Saturday (20 November) but has been encouraged by what he has seen in the build-up to the game. "We know we need to do better, we know we’ve not been playing as well as we can," he said. "We should do better, we can do better. I’m sure we will do better. "Everything I’ve seen this week in training bodes very well; they’ve been bright, they’ve looked after themselves when they’ve been away, and it’s important now that the Watford game is the start of what’s to come." Related links:

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• Jesse Lingard drops West Ham hint on Instagram after Man Utd talks collapses
• Harry Maguire’s celebration has left lots of people confused