Andre Onana speaks out on relationship with Manchester United teammate Harry Maguire
Cameroon international Andre Onana joined Manchester United from Inter Milan this summer as a long-term replacement for David de Gea. Making an early impression during United’s pre-season tour of the US, the goalkeeper ran out from his goal to berate Maguire during a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas, unhappy with a sloppy pass from the centre-half.
Speaking ahead of United’s group stage opener against Bayern Munich, Onana was quizzed on whether the incident has been overblown by the media. He told reporters: ‘No, Harry is a very good guy, I have a good relationship with him, I even spoke with him this morning before we took off for Munich. What happened there, I already explained straight after the game.’
Onana and Maguire’s Relationship
Onana went on to explain that he and Maguire have a ‘very good’ relationship and that what happened on the pitch should stay on the pitch. He also revealed that he had spoken with Maguire that morning before they took off for Munich. This shows that despite the incident, the two players are still on good terms.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently criticised Onana over the incident, suggesting the goalkeeper ranted at his teammate in an attempt to endear himself to United fans ahead of the new campaign. However, Onana’s comments suggest that this is not the case and that he and Maguire have a strong relationship.
Onana’s International Future
Onana returned to action with Cameroon during the September international break having retired from international duty late last year following a disagreement with manager Rigobert Song. Cameroon sealed their place in January’s Africa Cup of Nations in that win over Burundi with Onana set to miss a string of games for United if he is selected in the squad for that tournament.
Onana was quizzed on his international future on Tuesday in Munich but insisted no decision has been made. He said: ‘If am called up, I don’t know if I am going to be called up so we can’t speak about things we don’t know. Let’s see what is going to happen in the next month but we are here to play against Munich, an important game for us so all the focus is on that game tomorrow.’
Conclusion
Andre Onana has spoken out on his relationship with Manchester United teammate Harry Maguire, revealing that they have a ‘very good’ relationship and that what happened on the pitch should stay on the pitch. Onana also discussed his international future, saying he doesn’t know if he will be called up for January’s Africa Cup of Nations. All focus is now on Wednesday’s clash with Bayern Munich.
