Harry Maguire snubs Erling Haaland to name United legend as his toughest opponent

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has spoken about the toughest striker he has ever faced in an interview ahead of the game against Rosenborg. The Red Devils face the Norwegian club in Trondheim, Norway on Friday, 24 July, in their second pre-season tie. The Premier League giants started their preparations for the new season with a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wrexham in the previous game. Maguire started the game and played 45 minutes before Michael Carrick changed his entire team for the second half. The English defender is coming off a stellar second half of the campaign, during which he was indispensable in United’s march to third place in the Premier League. Unfortunately, it was not enough to earn him a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Harry Maguire Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League231912311,655′ EFL Cup111—90′ FA Cup10–1-11′ Total252022411,756′ Source: Transfermarkt. The Three Lions ultimately secured bronze at the summer’s tournament, losing to Argentina in the semi-finals before beating France 6-4 in the third-place play-off. England secured a 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter-finals, but Ståle Solbakken’s team left a lasting impression on Maguire. Maguire impressed by Norway’s World Cup run Speaking to Norwegian outlet Dagbladet ahead of Friday’s game, Maguire acknowledged that he was very impressed by Norway’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said: “I watched Norway at the World Cup, and they were absolutely fantastic. They’ve really impressed everyone at the World Cup.” “They were unlucky to be knocked out in the quarter-final against England. It was a 50-50 match. Norway have a very strong team and it’s great to see that they’ve become competitive on the big stage. They have a bright future ahead of them.” “They’re right up there with the world’s best and they seem like really nice people, as well as being excellent footballers. All credit to both the country and the national team. And it wasn’t just those two who had a fantastic tournament – many Norwegian players did.” United legend Maguire’s toughest opponent Maguire went on to heap praise on Haaland, whom he has regularly faced in the Manchester Derby in recent years. The Englishman said: “He’s a fantastic footballer. You can see that from his statistics, and he was absolutely brilliant at the World Cup. When you’re playing against him, you can’t afford to take your eye off him for even a split second.” However, contrary to expectations, the Manchester City striker is not the best striker the English defender has ever faced. When asked about the matter, Maguire took a moment before responding: “It has to be Wayne Rooney.” Maguire faced Wazza six times in his career, during his time with Hull City and Leicester City. Maguire looking forward to Friday’s tie Maguire also shared his thoughts on Friday’s game and had special words for United’s Norwegian supporters. He said: “We’re looking forward to the match. It’ll be good to get some more minutes under our belts.” “We always feel very welcome there. We know the fans there are very passionate and that we have fantastic supporters there. It’s a beautiful country, and it’s something we’re looking forward to.” Final Thoughts Maguire signed a new deal at the Theatre of Dreams towards the end of last season and is expected to play a crucial role next campaign as well. With Casemiro leaving as a free agent this summer, the Englishman’s leadership qualities will also be an asset in the dressing room. Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.