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ANALYSIS

Harry Maguire: Manchester United

captain proving his worth but does he
still have a future under Erik ten Hag?
Man Utd captain Harry Maguire is proving his worth under Erik ten Hag; season run-
in could be defining period for England defender; Watch Nottingham Forest vs Man
Utd on Super Sunday; kick off 4.30pm

Dan Sansom
Football Journalist @DanSansom_

Sunday 16 April 2023 12:16, UK

Harry Maguire came on as a sub against Sevilla

"I don't want to speak about it too much because I don't want to jinx
it. I haven't lost since the second or third week of the season but this
match was not about me, it was about the team."

When called upon this season, Harry Maguire has hardly put a foot
wrong for Manchester United. His assured performance in Saturday's
2-0 win over Everton proved he remains a valuable member of Erik ten
Hag's squad.

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The victory at Old Trafford made it 10 consecutive wins for United with
Maguire in the starting line-up.

He may have featured just 12 times in the Premier League after falling
behind first-choice centre-backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro
Martinez, but the England international's recent displays have been
impressive - and perhaps gone under the radar.

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Following the injuries to Varane and Martinez in Thursday night's

dramatic 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League
quarter-final at Old Trafford, Maguire and indeed his old partner Victor
Lindelof look set to play a vital role during the run-in.

Ten Hag said: "We've seen with Martinez he drops out after a moment
where there was no opponent involved so that doesn't look that great,
so we're going to have to wait. I can't tell what it is, but it's not the
Achilles area.

"He will not play on Sunday. It looks like that, but I can't say what is the
diagnosis and I prefer to wait and then we are clear and we know
exactly what it is. I have spoken with him and he is OK. He is calm.

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Harry Maguire - Premier League 2022/23

General Defence Distribution Attack Discipline

16 762 8 0
Games played Minutes played Starts Subbed off

"I can't say at this moment and the same with Rafa. I haven't spoken to
Rafa after the game but it's an injury he's complained about over the
past couple of weeks so we have to see how it is now."

A return to grace is never without its minor pitfalls, and so Maguire

would be the unfortunate scorer of Sevilla's 92nd-minute equaliser -
Youssef En-Nesyri's stoppage-time header glanced off him into the
goal to give the visitors a huge lift ahead of next week's second leg.

But having been written off by many after Ten Hag's arrival last year,
could Maguire still have a future at United after all? Or is a move away
from the club the most likely outcome? There's plenty for the 30-year-
old to consider ahead of a pivotal summer in his career...

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag says that others will need to step up and they
suffered two injury blows, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane both going off.

Man Utd's current list of absentees

Raphael Varane (foot)
Lisandro Martinez (unconfirmed)
Marcus Rashford (groin)
Luke Shaw (unknown)
Alejandro Garnacho (ankle)
Tom Heaton (ankle)
Donny van de Beek (knee)
Bruno Fernandes (suspended)

Ten Hag continues to back him

Maguire has made 26 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions this season

"I think this is a different Harry Maguire to what I have seen in the first
weeks and months."

Ten Hag has been impressed with his captain. Those comments from
the United manager followed the win over Everton, a game Maguire
excelled in.

Maguire's positional play from defence to attack particularly pleased

Ten Hag, who decided to start him alongside Martinez and leave Varane
on the bench.

Maguire's passing variation against Everton impressed Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag

Maguire made 15 passes in the final third - seven more than his centre-
back partner - and finished with a respectable 84.4 per cent passing
accuracy. He also won possession eight times - the joint-most for
United - and won more aerial duels than any of his team-mates [five].

"He's taken so much initiative, dominating his opponent, stepping in,

bringing passes. It was a really great performance," Ten Hag added.

Maguire played a key role as United kept their 23rd clean sheet of the
season in all competitions and has repeatedly been backed by Ten Hag,
even when he hasn't been selected in the starting line-up.

His individual stats have also improved, particularly in possession. Per

90 minutes, Maguire now attempts and completes more passes, has a
better passing accuracy, and attempts and completes more passes in
the final third too. As well as that, he wins possession more in the
defensive third, wins more aerial duels, and completes more clearances.

"It is not that easy for Harry to be rotated with the other centre-backs,"
Ten Hag said. "And then if you deliver the performance he did against
Everton, really well done, in and out of possession, dominating and
dictating.

"That is my demand on him and he transferred it to the pitch."

Ten Hag has continued to back Maguire despite his lack of minutes

Will a squad role satisfy him?

Maguire had been undroppable for United after joining from Leicester
for £80m back in 2019 but has been limited to a more peripheral role
this season.

He once played every minute of a staggering 71 consecutive Premier

League games for United under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He
also featured heavily under ex-interim manager Ralf Rangnick and
started Ten Hag's first two league games, but defeats against
Brentford and Brighton saw him dropped to the bench and he has not
been a regular since.

Maguire's start against Everton was his first in the Premier League
since February 12 and just his sixth of the season.

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights of Manchester United's win over Everton in the Premier League

"We have four top international centre-backs who could play at the top
level - myself, Lich [Martinez], Rafa [Varane] and Victor [Lindelof] as
well," Maguire said.

"It is good that we have all four of us and I'm sure between now and the
end of the season we're going to push each other and also going to be
highly competitive for spaces.

"But you also have to make sure when you don't get selected that you
train well and make sure you are ready, and ready to fight and when you
get that chance to take that opportunity."

Harry Maguire vs Raphael Varane - Premier League this season

Could a summer move be more beneficial?

Maguire's contract with Manchester United expires in June 2025

United are expected to be busy in the summer transfer window as Ten

Hag looks to initiate the next phase of his rebuild and there are reports
Maguire will be one of several players to leave Old Trafford.

He was linked to a number of clubs in the January transfer window

including Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham and Aston Villa, while Ligue
1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and former club Leicester have also
been reported as possible destinations this summer.

If Maguire is to leave United, the club will have to be prepared to receive

a significantly lower fee than the £80m they spent to tempt Leicester
into selling four years ago, but there is also an argument to suggest the
defender's upturn in performances is gradually increasing his value
ahead of a potential summer departure.

Maguire's current contract with United expires in June 2025 and at 30

years old, his next one is arguably his most important. He'll want to get
it right.

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What about his England career?

Harry Maguire produced a composed display

Maguire has scored seven goals in 55 games for England and continues to be backed by manager
Gareth Southgate

What might make Maguire's decision easier this summer is the fact
Gareth Southgate continues to back him for England despite his lack of
minutes at club level during the 2022/23 campaign.

Maguire started every game of the World Cup in Qatar at the end of
last year, as well as England's opening two Euro 2024 qualifiers against
Italy and Ukraine in March.

Despite admitting "it's not a perfect scenario", Southgate said ahead of

those fixtures last month: "Harry has got two World Cup winners
currently ahead of him in the United team and that's the benchmark.

"He dealt with it brilliantly in Qatar. His performances were exceptional.

He had a lot of pressure going into those games because the spotlight
was on him, but he was without a doubt one of our best players in the
tournament."

Maguire, England's all-time top-scoring defender, has been a regular in

a team that has reached a World Cup semi-final, quarter-final and
European Championship final, so under Southgate at least, his
international future looks secure.

Season run-in a defining period

Harry Maguire is in line for a period in the side

Maguire is now in line for a period in the side

Maguire's situation at United could become clearer during the season

run-in. He's undoubtedly earned Ten Hag's trust in recent months, but
whether that's enough to force his way back into the starting line-up
on a regular basis now seems a decision taken out of his manager's
hands.