Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire is one of the country’s best-known footballers, and we have taken a closer look at his career to date.
The 29-year-old’s form at Old Trafford this season may have been called into question in some quarters, but there is no doubting his qualities, while he has certainly come a long way since starting his career in the EFL with Sheffield United.
Home Comforts Help Mould Young Harry
Maguire began his career at home-town club Sheff United, being drafted into the first-team fold for the first time during the closing months of the 2010-11 season and winning the man of the match award during his debut against Cardiff City.
He made four further appearances before the end of the season, but he could not prevent the Blades from being relegated to League One, although he was able to establish himself as a first-team regular over the following three campaigns.
The defender was undoubtedly a bright spark in what was a difficult period for Sheff United. His performances eventually earned him a move to Premier League Hull City in July 2014 at the age of just 21.
Maguire struggled for first-team minutes during his first season on Humberside, which included a brief loan spell in the Championship with Wigan Athletic, but Hull’s relegation from the Premier League ultimately acted as a blessing in disguise for the centre back on a personal note.
From Hull to the World Cup
Maguire established himself as a key player as Hull secured an immediate return to the Premier League in 2016, and he continued to impress as a regular in the top flight, so much so that he earned a reported £12million move to Leicester City ahead of the 2017-18 season.
Soon after joining Leicester, Maguire received his first senior international call-up with England (he did previously feature once for the under-21s), and he made his debut for Gareth Southgate’s side in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Lithuania in October 2017.
An ever-present in Leicester’s team during 2017-18, Maguire was eventually included in England’s 2018 World Cup squad, and he was an integral part of the team that finished fourth in Russia, even scoring his first international goal in the quarter-final victory over Sweden.
By this point, Maguire was attracting attention from some of the largest clubs in the country, and following another solid season with Leicester, he earned his biggest move to date.
Maguire Yet to Fulfil United Potential
Leicester sold Maguire to Manchester United for a reported £80million in August 2019, making him the most expensive defender in football history, a title he still holds.
Maguire’s time at United has had its fair share of ups and downs, he was named club captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020, but he is still yet to win a trophy during his two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford.
Questions have been labelled against Maguire’s performances so far this season, with United set to go another year without a trophy, while they also face an uphill battle to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Despite those relative struggles at club level, Maguire has continued to thrive with England and was part of the team that made it to the final of Euro 2020 last summer, scoring in the eventual shootout defeat to Italy in the Wembley showpiece.
Maguire is closing in on his 50th cap for his country, and who knows, he could play an integral role in England going on to be crowned world champions in Qatar later this year.
