Maguire raring to go after Fulham masterclass
As the hours ebbed away before Manchester United's Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday, the club's newest signings, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, dominated the chatter on the streets.
Would one, or both, of the new defenders make Erik ten Hag's starting XI? How might the team be transformed by these new arrivals?
Both made it onto the pitch, ultimately – Mazraoui showing complete assurance from the start, and De Ligt barrelling into the fray during the final 10 minutes.
But it was one of United's longest-serving defenders, Harry Maguire, that really stole the show at the back, thanks to a performance of complete commitment and defiant confidence.
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Our Man of the Match award inevitably went to another debutant, the forward Joshua Zirkzee, who scored the only goal of the game, but Maguire would have swept up any unsung hero prize, had it been on offer.
Some onlookers might have put about the English stalwart to the back of their minds, given the high-profile new signings, but Maguire's performance screamed with determination.
And in a new interview with club media, the defender implied that he is relishing the busy season in front of us, plus the intense competition for places.
"I feel good, I feel fit," said the 31-year-old. "Physically and mentally, I'm in a good place and yeah, I'm looking forward to a big season.
"There's so many games this season. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of changes to come, game to game, in the starting eleven. And when your turn is upon you, you need to take your chance. And yeah, it's one that we'll need a big squad for.
"For myself, I feel fit and ready to go and looking forward to the season."
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After missing the European Championship with England, due to injury, the Yorkshireman has emitted a real sense of purpose in recent weeks. And Maguire says his team-mates share that, particularly after missing out on Champions League qualification last term.
"Obviously, we want to be in the Champions League spots," he explained. "We missed out this season as we weren't good enough in the league.
"I think we don't really want to set any targets [but] I think this club demands trophies. So we want to win another trophy, of course, and in the Premier League we know there's large improvements that we need to do and make from what we did last season.
"For sure, we've got to improve on last season and let's see where it goes and takes us."
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Maguire was also keen to mention some of our young players, noting that competition for places will come not just from new acquisitions in the transfer market, but also the many hungry talents in the Academy.
"This club has always given opportunities to young players and this club has always produced good players," Maguire noted. "So the young boys know if they come and train with us and they perform and they do well in the games then they'll be given opportunities, because this manager has proven that over the last couple of years.
"It's going to be up to them, whether they take it or not. And they have the ability and the talent that they can do."
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