Share By Samuel Luckhurst 06:00, 13 APR 2020 Sport opinion Maguire celebrates the derby win in March The ultimate seal of approval for a player prior to joining Manchester United used to be that they had performed against them. In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, it is impressing United managers past and present.
Ferguson had Marouane Fellaini man-marked and put Ji-sung Park on Ander Herrera, a player whom David Moyes failed to recruit and Louis van Gaal agreed to sign. Ferguson could not convince Paul Pogba to stay and David Moyes was not around long enough to convince him to rejoin. Moyes and Van Gaal were smitten with the fantastical prospect of re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Harry Maguire was scouted by Moyes, courted by Jose Mourinho, championed by Ferguson, and bought by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Mourinho ironically spoke disparagingly about Maguire whilst on punditry duty for Russia Today at a time he coveted him.
"The negative thing for me was the fact I think there is exaggeration on theatre by the players," he said. "I was surprised to see central defenders like Harry Maguire, normally he is a very honest guy, diving in the attacking box asking the referee for VAR."
How a forgotten United youth team produced Premier League winners The six United player of the year candidates Mourinho, a suitable director for pantomime villains, will have secretly approved of Maguire's gamesmanship against Colombia. Streetwise antics took Sergio Ramos and Pepe far at club and international level and, however unedifying Maguire's dive was in England's round-of-16 win, there was an element of tit-for-tat against the rumbustious South Americans.
Maguire was soon added to Mourinho's list of top tier centre-back targets with Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar and Napoli enforcer Kalidou Koulibaly, but United balked at the £75million Leicester City demanded. A year later, United paid only £5m more for Maguire following their worst top-flight defensive season in 40 years.
United player reveals first look at squad's online training meeting Exclusive: United make decision on Fosu-Mensah's future United's belated approach for Maguire mystified Ferguson but the England international had his endorsement. "They should take the lad in the boardroom and not let him out until he's signed!" Ferguson told a confidant in July.
Solskjaer settled on Maguire as his priority target for centre half after United narrowly saw off Leicester 1-0 last season. "When you're 1-0 up, anything can happen in that box and I think that Harry Maguire has got a magnet on his head!" Solskjaer beamed. "Because it always dropped to him, a fantastic player in the box."
United hopeful of transfer market advantage when window opens Aaron Wan-Bissaka has given United what they want Staff at United viewed Maguire, 27, as a 'proven leader' through his Premier League and international pedigree, and assistant manager Mike Phelan had managed him briefly at Hull City. The idealistic intention of playing out from the back has not quite come off, though Maguire's distribution was pivotal in starting the breakaway that changed the game against Chelsea on his debut.
"I think he fully deserved man of the match, he was as solid as a rock," Mourinho said in the Sky Sports studio at Old Trafford. "The tactical knowledge, the personality, that sense of reading the game, being alert all the time, and having the confidence to play. He was fantastic." Mourinho could not resist milking his validation, either: "He arrived one year later!"
Maguire has scored twice this season United have the fourth-best defensive record in the league behind Liverpool, Sheffield United and Leicester, and have recorded 21 clean sheets across all competitions all season. Out of the five major European leagues (the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, La Liga and the Bundesliga), only Paris Saint-Germain are ahead of them.
No United signing has been made captain quicker than Maguire since Maurice Setters in 1960. Maguire was an obvious choice; centre-back, six-year contract, bought by the manager, and vocal. The Video Assistant Referee is purportedly objective but without Maguire going spare after Roberto Firmino scored at Anfield or alerting myopic officials to the offside Gylfi Sigurdsson at Goodison Park, there might not have been any interventions.
United must resist Alexis Sanchez transfer temptation United squad numbers that Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish could take The only giveaway as to Maguire's fledgling association with United was he referred to the club as 'Man U' in a tweet. Hundreds quickly corrected him and it was soon deleted. Maguire has made amends with homages to Nemanja Vidic against Chelsea and Everton since the winter break in February.
Maguire is yet to develop predecessor Ashley Young's passion for United but is more communicative than the monosyllabic Antonio Valencia and - vitally for a captain - more available, starting all 29 Premier League fixtures. Off the pitch, he has conducted himself impeccably during the coronavirus pandemic by coordinating the Players Together NHS fund and supplying care packages to pensioners in his hometown of Sheffield.
That will have also impressed Ferguson.
