When the captain’s armband was stripped from Harry Maguire’s hands, most people believed that it was the end of the English midfielder’s career at Manchester United. But in the end, it was just the beginning of the second chapter of Maguire’s career at Old Trafford.
In fact, Man Utd has opened the door to leave for Maguire, accepting a £30 million offer from West Ham United. However, the former Leicester City star has no plans to leave Old Trafford, instead, he wants to fight to the end for a position in the main team. Therefore, even though they really want to liquidate Maguire, the Red Devils are still forced to keep him.
Perhaps, Man Utd will feel regretful at that time, but right now, they should really be grateful to Maguire for deciding not to join West Ham. Now, in the storm of injuries at the center back position, Maguire has truly become the most important factor in the Red Devils’ defense. He even had to endure pain to play in a few recent matches, but still delivered truly classy performances.
During last season, Maguire only had a total of 762 minutes in the Premier League, and this number is currently 1,561 minutes – even though this year’s Premier League season has not ended yet. Remember, there was a series of criticism aimed at Maguire last season, when he was only considered “a surplus man” at Old Trafford. However, there are also a few exceptions, typically Jaap Stam – who has always put his trust in the former Leicester star.
“Maguire needs to show everyone that he’s the best. Otherwise, you’re out. That’s how football works at the top level – I’ve been through it myself, you need to have stability in my performances.”, Stam shared with iNews last September.
“Harry can always say: ‘I’m not playing, so I’ll move somewhere else’. It was an easy decision for him, but if he wants to succeed at Manchester United, Maguire needs to show his ability in training sessions. Because we all know that in football – especially in the Premier League, with the number of games that teams have to go through, eventually there will be a chance for you.”
“Then you need to express yourself, you need to assert: ‘I will step into the lineup and will never get out of it.’ Now you need to convince the coach and the coaching staff practice.”
True to Stam’s words, the opportunity finally came to Maguire when injuries in the defense forced Ten Hag to put his trust in this midfielder. For his part, Maguire also quickly grasped the opportunity and reaffirmed his class as a top player, proving to Ten Hag that he is truly an important factor for Man Utd, at present. now and future.
