Harry Maguire seems to be on the path of redemption after going through an awful period. He was almost on his way out of Manchester United this summer transfer window. However, that didn’t go through and Maguire continued to spend more time on the bench than on the field. Yet, he was called up to start a few matches for Manchester United. Maguire has shown his worth through amazing performances in these few matches. His England teammates Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are positively hyping him.
Harry Maguire was on his way to the bottom with one after another poor performance in consecutive matches. Coach Erik Ten Hag had a lot of trust in Maguire. However, he made some mistakes in several games that cost Man United a few matches. This included their Europa League chances against Sevilla when the Red Devils were actually favourites to win the tournament. This saw Maguire stripped of his captaincy and spend more time on the bench. He was even set to leave the club this summer.
Man United agreed with West Ham United on a £30 million move for the defender. However, the deal collapsed as personal terms could not be agreed between Maguire and West Ham. Even after that, Ten Hag always said Maguire was still an important part of the team. Yet, he was put on the sidelines more often than not. However, with the Red Devils plagued with injuries, Ten Hag called up Maguire to start in a few matches. Surprisingly, it has been going extremely well for the 30-year-old defender.
In Man United’s last match in the Champions League against Copenhagen, Harry Maguire not only gave a stellar performance at the back line, but he also scored a goal. He made no mistakes, joined the attack and scored the winning goal with a header. That goal became the winner for the Red Devils who had lost both of their previous two Champions League matches. When asked about his opinion on the player, coach Ten Hag said, “He’s playing much more proactively in possession, stepping in, passing vertically.”
He added, “He’s defending on the front foot, defending forward, very confident in the duels, I think he is dominating in the right way with his aggression against opponents. You see he also gets rewarded. Of course, his heading is a skill… a very good finish.” The coach’s positive words were not the only encouragement Maguire got. His England teammates Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham also came out to support him on social media. Maguire posted a picture from the match with the caption “A Knight to remember.”
Jude Bellingham commented “Love to see it H” and Declan Rice commented “Buzzing for you H”. Both players were also involved in their respective teams’ Champions League matches. Bellingham scored for Real Madrid against Braga in their recent Champions League game. This became his 11th goal of the campaign for Los Blancos. Maguire’s excellent performance in one match after another is probably solidifying his place in the starting XI. However, as he got his chance again due to a number of injuries, he might have to be benched again.
Editors pick
