The former Red Devil believes the defender could benefit from some time away from the spotlight
Rio Ferdinand has suggested Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should rest Harry Maguire after a difficult few weeks.
The England defender was sent off in a midweek Nations League loss against Denmark and has struggled to find form at club level this season with the Red Devils losing 6-1 to Tottenham prior to the international break.
Off the pitch, Maguire was caught up in an incident in Greece over the summer that saw him handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence that he has appealed.
With so much going on for the centre-back, Ferdinand believes a break could be the best thing for Maguire right now ahead of United’s next game against Newcastle.
“In these situations – that I’ve been in as well – you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven,” Ferdinand said about Maguire via the BBC.
“Ole has a big job on his hands and I think quite an important role to play in this. Whether maybe it’s time to give him a little rest, let him gather himself and build that confidence back up.
“I got brought off in one game, I think it was Middlesbrough away, the manager spoke to me and said ‘Get yourself back to basics, train well and you’ll come back in’. That’s what happened and I was fine. It’s just sometimes that bit of pressure being taken out that can actually help you.
“When you’re going game-to-game every three or four days, it’s very hard to see through the fog. But when you’re taken out of the firing line, you get time to sit back and actually analyse yourself, your performance, your preparation, your recovery – all aspects of what goes around a football match or 90 minutes.
“It’s then about rebuilding yourself and playing simple. Effectively trying to get through a game without being seen.
“It might sound silly but that’s the way I used to look at it when I was lacking a little bit of confidence. Because at the moment you’re being seen for all the wrong reasons.”
Jamie Redknapp leaped to Maguire’s defence during the week and stressed that he deserves some slack considering everything that’s going on his life.
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