Harry Maguire wants to repay United fans' loyalty

The experienced defender is eagerly anticipating our first Premier League fixture of 2025/26, perhaps even more so than usual due to the opposition: Arsenal.

But as well as the natural motivation that comes with a clean slate and a chance to set off on the front foot, Maguire recognises that fans will remember the difficult moments of just a few months ago.

Prior to Sunday’s game against Arsenal, United’s last competitive match at Old Trafford came just days after the Europa League final defeat, when Reds supporters showed a resilience and defiance in the stands despite the loss.

“I said it last year, that we’ve got the best fans in the world,” Maguire told us.

“I think you realise that when you’re going through bad times. Everyone can be there and celebrating and be loud and proud when things are going well, but our fans last year stuck with us through it all. There were some dark times and some performances that were nowhere near good enough and they were always there.

“A few days after the final, it could have been a real toxic atmosphere. It wasn't. It was the opposite. We got clapped off the pitch when we did the a lap of honour and that's our fans. Now it's on us to go and repay them this season with some special performances and some memories for them to keep and share.”

Maguire in particular has had to endure tougher moments than many footballers, having showed fantastic resilience to get through a period when it felt like the world was willing him to fail.

Instead, he’s proved himself under several United managers, and remains a key part of the squad, as well as a leader in the dressing room.

He now feels the whole squad would have learnt greater resilience from last season’s disappointment.

“We will definitely be stronger, for sure,” he reflected.

“Individuals will be strong. When you have setbacks, you learn from them, you gain experience from them. There'll be a lot of lads in that changing room who have had a tough year last year and will have found themselves coming under a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny, probably for the first time in their career, so they'll have learned from it massively.

“It’s important that we’re resilient throughout the season. We know it’s not going to be plain sailing, that we’re not just going to win every match even though we want to. There’s going to be ups and downs again. But compared to last year, we need to have much more ups and much more consistency for us to succeed and get this club where it deserves to be.

“A good break [helps you] switch off from football and come back to it thinking of it as a fresh start. Signing new players [also] helps with that, and being in the new facility. It’s our first pre-season under Ruben [Amorim] and his staff, so it’s really important. It feels like a real fresh start this season, and after a bad season, that’s the best thing that could have happening. Now it’s time for us to play and put it into practice and make sure we get the result.”