Harry Maguire is a football player with Manchester United and an England international defender who was part of the 2018 World Cup squad which reached the semi-finals.
Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when United bought him for 80 million pounds from Leicester City in 2019, although his time at United has not been without its challenges, with poor form leading to him losing his spot in the side along with the captaincy armband under Erik ten Hag in 2023.
Club Career
Sheffield-born Maguire came through the ranks at his local club Sheffield United as a junior, making more than 100 first-team appearance and winning the club’s Player of the Year three times as they competed in England’s League One until his move to Hull City in 2014.
| Team |
Manchester United
|
| Position | Defender |
| Height / weight | 1.94 m / 100 kg |
| Born | 5 Mar 1993 |
| Nationality |
England
|
| Nickname | Slabhead |
| Team History | |
|
Man Utd
|
2019 - present |
Leicester City
|
2017 - 2019 |
Hull City
|
2014 - 2017 |
Wigan Athletic
|
2015 (loan) |
Sheffield
|
2011 - 2014 |
He spent three years with Hull City, during which they were a Premier League club, although he was loaned to second tier Wigan Athletic, before the Tigers got relegated from the top flight. Maguire was a more significant figure as they promotion via the playoffs in 2017 and was voted the club’s Player of the Year by the fans and the players.
Maguire left Hull in 2017 for Leicester City on a five-year deal and he played every minute of the 2017-18 season, earning the club’s Player of the Season gong, along with World Cup selection with England.
In July 2019, Manchester United approached Leicester to sign Maguire, eventually landing him with a 80 million pound offer on a six-year contract with the option of a further year. In January 2020, despite some criticism, he was named club captain at Old Trafford. In August 2020, Maguire was involved an altercation on the Greek island of Mykonos involving police and was found guilty on three charges, given a suspended jail term of 21 months and 10 days as it was a first offence.
Maguire’s form wavered in the 2021-22 season with United slipping to sixth spot with the team conceding 57 goals that season, their most since 1978-79, creating unwanted pressure on the defender. That intensified in the 2022-23 campaign under new boss Ten Hag with Maguire starting only eight league games, for 31 appearances in all competitions, with the new boss preferring Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in central defence.
As a result of losing his regular starting spot, Ten Hag opted to take the captaincy off Maguire, giving it to Bruno Fernandes instead, prior to the 2022-23 season.
International Career
Maguire was eligible to play for England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents. He was called up for England’s Under-21s in 2012. He eventually made his senior England debut in 2017 away to Lithuania in a 1-0 win in 2018 World Cup qualifying.
Maguire became a key part of England’s side in 2017 and 2018, playing regularly during the 2018 World Cup including scoring his maiden international goal in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Sweden.
He also appeared at Euro 2020 as England made the final, losing to Italy in a shootout, with Maguire netting his penalty. Maguire was named in the Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament.
Maguire was selected by England manager Gareth Southgate for the 2022 World Cup squad and had a solid campaign, playing all five of the side’s games before losing to France in the quarter-finals.
