Harry Maguire to Retain Man Utd Captaincy & Lodges Appeal Against Guilty Verdict

Harry Maguire and his legal team have lodged a successful appeal for a retrial following his recent guilty verdict on trial in Greece - and the player is set to remain as Manchester United's captain.

The 27-year-old was found guilty of aggravated assault and attempted bribery, being handed a 21 month and ten day suspended sentence on Tuesday. It came following an altercation with police officers on the island of Mykonos last week, though his conviction has now been nullified due to the appeal. A full retrial will take place in the future.

After the verdict, both Man Utd and Maguire issued statements, with the England international insisting that his legal team will appeal the decision and remains 'strong and confident' regarding his innocence.

Indeed, the club have now issued an update, explaining that an appeal was lodged and accepted on Wednesday morning.

As a result, in accordance with the Greek judicial process, the initial court verdict has been 'nullified'. A more 'senior court' will hold the retrail, and United add that now Maguire has no criminal record and will once again be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

He will also be free to travel back to Manchester without any restrictions.

Since the verdict, there has been increasing chatter that Maguire would be unable to continue as captain. However, the club's latest update suggests they completely support the defender.

Indeed, ESPN report that the centre-back has the backing of United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and will continue to wear the captain's armband for the upcoming season. It is further noted that the Old Trafford club's hierarchy 'support' Maguire and his version of events.

The former Leicester City man is said to be confident that his appeal will be successful, but should he and his team fail to overturn the decision, ESPN claim that it isn't clear whether the Red Devils would then change their stance on Maguire being captain.

Maguire's confidence stems from the fact that forensic evidence backs up his version of events, while video evidence will also be submitted by his team - which is expected to also strengthen their claims.

The centre back was initially included in the England squad for the upcoming Nations League clashes, but following his conviction, Gareth Southgate confirmed that it was in the 'best interests' of everyone involved if he was dropped from the squad for the next round of fixtures.

Man Utd are due to begin pre-season training next week ahead of the start of the 2020/21 season. Solskjaer's men kick off their Premier League campaign with a home game against Crystal Palace on 19 September.