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The end for Harry Maguire at Man Utd? £80m defender's Old Trafford career was doomed from the start

Manchester United are going places under Erik ten Hag. Sunday's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa gave the Red Devils a nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Liverpool in the race for the final Champions League spot, and they still have a game in hand on their rivals.

Ten Hag also brought the club's six-year trophy drought to an end with a 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle, and supporters are now looking forward to a blockbuster FA Cup final clash against noisy neighbours Manchester City.

Amid their resurgence, Harry Maguire has been little more than a spectator.

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The 30-year-old has only started 15 games for United this season, including just seven in the Premier League. Indeed, he was only given a four-minute run out against Villa after Ten Hag opted to deploy Luke Shaw as a makeshift centre-back alongside Victor Lindelof once again.

Maguire is still United's club captain, but Bruno Fernandes now wears the armband 90 percent of the time, and a permanent change will surely be made in the summer.

It has also been reported that Ten Hag will sanction Maguire's departure, with the defender not figuring into his long-term plans at Old Trafford.

When Maguire initially joined United, he was considered among the best centre-halves in the country. Four years later, he has been reduced to a figure of ridicule and appears destined for a significant step down.

So how did we get to this point?