MANCHESTER: Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire feels the club will draw motivation from the passion of their fans watching them from their television sets as they get ready to take on Sheffield United on Wednesday in front of empty stands at Old Trafford.
United have already played two behind-closed-doors fixtures due to the coronavirus pandemic, but both games took place away from home - at the home grounds of Austrian side LASK and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively.
Therefore, in Old Trafford stadium's 110-year history, Wednesday's English Premier League tie will be the first competitive match to take place without a crowd.
"One thing for sure is, every time you put a kit on with the Manchester United badge on it, you don't need much spurring on," said the England international on Manchester United's official website.
"You know how big the club is, the history it has got, and it's such a big, iconic club. If you can't get motivated to win a game of football for this club then you're in the wrong sport, to be honest.
"It's disappointing not to play in front of your fans," he continued. "But we know they're going to be in front of their TV screens, watching us, shouting for us, and the main thing is we want to put smiles back on their faces," he added.
United came from behind to earn a point against Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw on Friday.
"Maybe it does take away the home fans making the atmosphere uncomfortable for the away team," the United captain said.
"But it's still about the 11 players who turn up on the day.
"There is enough talent in our squad to go and beat anyone. We're fully focused on ourselves and are not looking at it being home or away. We're just seeing every game as a chance to try to get the three points and perform at our best."