Harry Maguire: Manchester United defender may benefit from rest, says Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire could benefit by being rested by his club, says ex-Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand.

His side’s next game is at Newcastle United on Saturday (kick-off 8pm).

“In these situations – that I’ve been in as well – you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven,” said Ferdinand.

“[Manchester United manager] Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] 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 [Sir Alex Ferguson] 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.”

Maguire went on international duty after playing for United in a 6-1 thrashing by Tottenham at Old Trafford.

He played in England’s win over Belgium on Sunday before his dismissal in the 1-0 Nations League defeat by Denmark.

Maguire was booked early on before being shown a second yellow after 31 minutes when he fouled Kasper Dolberg.

“When you’re going game-to-game every three or four days, it’s very hard to see through the fog,” added Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles with United as well as the Champions League in the 2007-08 season.

“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.”