Harry Maguire has disclosed how Manchester United monitors players’ fitness during the off-season, using detailed training schedules and GPS trackers. The 33-year-old defender is experiencing his longest break in years after being omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup, missing a second consecutive major tournament following a calf injury that ruled him out of Euro 2024.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Maguire described the off-season as “unusual” and confirmed that United provides each player with a GPS device to track their activity. “Man United send you a schedule, they send you a GPS to make sure that you’re doing it. Yeah, they keep on top of you,” he said. The club ensures that players not involved in international duty follow a tailored programme to maintain fitness levels.
Maguire initially stated that players would report for pre-season training on July 9, though it is understood the correct date is Wednesday, July 8. He added: “This is the longest [break] I’ve had since I made my England debut. It’s been nice, but it’s been strange.” With six-and-a-half weeks off, he acknowledged a long build-up ahead: “I normally get about three weeks before the first game, this year I’m going to have six-and-a-half weeks so I’ve got a long way to build up.”
United’s pre-season tour begins on July 18 against Wrexham in Helsinki, followed by matches in Norway, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, and Poland. The Premier League season kicks off on August 22 away to Hull City. Michael Carrick will oversee his first pre-season as head coach with a series of friendlies across Europe.
