Harry Maguire joined Manchester United from Leicester City in the summer of 2019 for a reported £80m fee and remains the costliest defender in the history of the beautiful game.
But that price tag has seen him come under constant scrutiny so far. Despite severe criticism from fans and pundits, the Englishman has held his own and remains a key figure under Ruben Amorim at the moment.
Maguire reached a special milestone in the 2-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday, September 20, in the Premier League, which was his 250th appearance for the Red Devils.
Interestingly, the 32 year old is only the third member of the current squad to reach the figure for the Red Devils, alongside Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw.
A stunning Old Trafford debut
Maguire was initially handed the armband by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the departure of Ashley Young in 2020. However, Erik ten Hag opted to name Bruno Fernandes as the new skipper in 2023, given that the Englishman had dropped down the pecking order the previous season.
Maguire was also close to an exit that summer, but ended up staying. He then showed amazing resilience to force his way back into Ten Hag’s plans, and was a regular under Amorim last season as well.
The Englishman’s latest achievement only highlights his importance to the team at the moment. Speaking recently to United’s website, Maguire recalled his debut against Chelsea in 2019.
“It was an unbelievable feeling. I hadn’t been at the club for too long, I’d had five or six games of training and got thrown straight into the debut at Old Trafford, first Premier League game of the season, against Chelsea, all my family and friends in the stadium,” said Maguire.
“It was an amazing day, one of the best days of my football career. Winning 4-0, it couldn’t have been more perfect.
“The atmosphere… I couldn’t believe how good it was and how impressed I was with everything about it. It was an unbelievable occasion for me and my family.”
A dream come true
Maguire went on to add that appearing 250 times for United has been a dream come true for him.
“To play that amount of games is a huge privilege,” said Maguire.
“The dream of a young kid, growing up in Sheffield, to play one game for Manchester United would have been a dream come true, but to play 250 I feel really lucky, really grateful. Hopefully [there’s] many more to come and some good memories to come along with it.”
Maguire has won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup during his time at the Theatre of Dreams. He has been a goal threat from set pieces as well, and has scored 16 goals and set up nine more for the Red Devils so far.
The veteran defender’s contract expires in 2026, but recent reports have suggested that the club are considering a renewal.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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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. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
