It’s time to blare out the song again, that was once a fan favourite at Old Trafford: “Harry Maguire! HaaaarryMaguire! He f***** off Leicester, for Manchester, his head’s f****** massiiiiiiive!”
That ‘slabhead’ had given Manchester United the ticket to the Europa League semi-final via an extra–time winner against Lyon. At Estadio San Memes, Maguire channelled his inner Ronaldinho to set up United’s opening goal against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. “Harrydinho,” said the fans.
Who would have thought that United would return from the Basque country with a three-goal advantage? The Europa League has been the club’s redemption arc. This is also proving to be the merry song of Maguire’s renaissance.
Maguire’s career at United so far has been the very definition of undulation. In 2019, the club forked out £80 million – a world-record amount for a defender – to sign him from Leicester City. He was given the armband by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The former United striker, a winner, identified the leader in the group. But Erik ten Hag, the man who did enormous damage to the club through his Dutch league-favoured recruitments, stripped Maguire of the United captaincy. His future at the club became uncertain. Two seasons ago, during United’s pre-season tour, he was booed by the fans. He was even mocked in the Ghanaian parliament.
United have dropped a stinker in the Premier League this season – 14th in the table with 39 points from 34 matches, and a goal difference of -8. The same team has plundered 15 goals in five Europa League knockout ties. They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, and from his added-time equaliser in Porto in October to his match-winner against Lyon and the mesmerising skill in Bilbao – Maguire’s contributions have been immense.
No wonder that Ruben Amorim called the centre-half a “good winger” after the match yesterday. “Sometimes there are moments in our life, and Harry had difficult moments and everything he did was, I don’t want to say wrong, but it is that word, wrong,” the United manager told TNT Sports. “Now everything he does is good for the team, so he has to enjoy it.”
Skipper Bruno Fernandes, too, lavished praise on his teammate. “I said it straight away; what a winger,” he quipped. “I don’t think even he thought he had that in his locker. No one was expecting that. I don’t think even the opposition was expecting that.”
At 32, Maguire has a few years of top-flight football in front of him. He has become a vital cog in Amorim’s back-three wheel. The Sheffield boy, whom ten Hag considered surplus to requirements, has well and truly turned a corner.
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