Bailly accuses Man Utd of favouring Maguire, other English players
The centre back, who joined Marseille on loan in the summer, was signed by United in 2016
Cote d’Ivoire defender Eric Bailly has accused Manchester United of prioritising English players during his time at the club, claiming that selection was based on nationality rather than ability.
The centre back, who joined Marseille on loan in the summer, was signed by United in 2016 but his time at the club was blighted by injury and he made only four league appearances last season after slipping down the pecking order.
He was as often left out of the United starting line-up while a struggling Harry Maguire played regularly.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match away to Tottenham Hotspur, Bailly appeared to take aim at Maguire being chosen ahead of him.
“The club should avoid favouring English players and give everyone a chance,” said Bailly, 28. “[The club should] encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritised.
“That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs. Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team. Luckily [Erik] Ten Hag has a lot of character and I hope he can change that dynamic.”
Bailly decided to leave Old Trafford after Ten Hag signed Lisandro Martínez for about £50 million from Ajax. With Maguire and Raphaël Varane at the club, he thought his opportunities would be limited.
“I met Erik Ten Hag in the dressing room at the end of last season when he went to sign his contract,” Bailly said. “I was packing my things because my intention was to leave, but he told me he wanted me to stay because he was going to give minutes to everyone. I agreed to do the summer tour with United, and he kept his word, but I don’t want to play every now and then. I want to do it every week and feel important. I want to get my confidence back.”
For now, the Dutch coach is sticking to his ideas. After two consecutive heavy defeats at the start of the season, Maguire was one of the casualties. The English centre-back did not play a single minute of the wins against Liverpool (2-1), Southampton (0-1) and Leicester City (0-1) and against Arsenal (3-1) he only appeared in the last ten minutes when he was shown a yellow card.
Bailly insists he has no regrets about joining United from Villarreal six years ago. “I was [José] Mourinho’s first signing and I also had good moments where titles were won,” he said. “I played important games and in some I was chosen as the best player. I think when I was given the opportunity I rose to the occasion. I just lacked consistency, because I think I deserved more minutes.”
