Maguire - the underrated defender

By @UtdNiamh, published on 14/08/21

Arguably, the best defender in the premier league and one of the best globally, is criminally underrated by fans and media alike. His transfer from Leicester caused people who once rated him to think he was the next Phil Jones. Suddenly everyone wanted to hate him. In 2019 he had to choose between the red and blue sides of Manchester, and he chose the reds. In this article, I will be writing about why the Englishman deserves more respect and how he has improved Manchester United as a whole and the players around him.

Leadership

Finally, the club had a dependable defender and genuinely world-class defender, unlike the other defenders at the club. Maguire had played every minute in the league before his injury at the end of the 20/21 season. He commands the respect of those around him and expects his teammates to be at a certain standard. I would argue that he is one of the best captains we have had post-Fergie, but that is what I think.

Consistency

As I mentioned before, this is the first time in a long time united have a reliable defender who doesn't get injured and who doesn't do stupid stuff for no reason. When we signed him in 2019, I felt like the club that had Van Dijk type signing to make the defence into title contenders. For a title-winning team, you need to have a world-class defender to make sure no mistakes happen.

Helping players around him

With Maguire in the defence, players have improved their game, knowing they have a leader beside them who can cover them if they want to go forward. Luke Shaw is the player I want to highlight. The English LB has had his difficulties at United with a terrible injury and a manager who didn't like him, along with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. These two took Shaw from a player struggling with form and confidence issues to the best left-back in the world. Every player in interviews talks about Maguire positively, which contradicts what some media and fans say about him.

Sticking up for what's right

During the whole super league fiasco, reports emerged that Harry Maguire went to Ed Woodward to express the players' concerns to the chief executive and, according to some accounts, even threatened to leave if the plans for the new league went ahead. This act showed that he cared for what is right for the club as a whole and made him more endeared in the hearts of the fans. During lockdown, he also helped out the foundation in getting packages to the vulnerable and those who had to be shielded. This shows that Harry is a true leader, not just on the pitch but also off the pitch.

What is a true leader? Someone who battles for the cause and does everything for the team, or is it someone who fights for what's right and gets back up after being knocked down? Whatever your definition is of a leader, Harry Maguire is one. He battles for the cause and will do whatever he can to ensure the team wins and the fans are happy both on and off the pitch.