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Opinion: Maguire's real-world values are priceless
I can’t think of a Manchester United fan that I know, in the real world, that will not greet the news of Harry Maguire’s new deal with a warm smile and a nod of approval.
I qualify that statement with ‘the real world’ because, let’s be honest, if you look online you can surely find someone, somewhere that will say literally anything about Manchester United and our players. In that netherworld of algorithms and anonymity, attention is the name of the game and there are many willing to play.
But the real world is where Maguire operates. And when you watch Maguire play – for both United and at international level, for England – you sense, intimately, the way in which the real world has shaped him.
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You need skill at Manchester United – that goes without saying. And Maguire has it. Sometimes it goes somewhat unacknowledged, due to the strength and physicality present in his game, that he’s a truly modern centre-back, hugely comfortable on the ball and hungry to get involved in the build-up via sharp passes and driving runs.
But, alone, talent is not enough here. When you wear this particular red shirt and step out onto a football pitch, the job before you has many dimensions, and Maguire knows about all of them. And I’d argue that the feel and enthusiasm he shows for the task of representing United is why so many fans will be delighted he’s staying for another year, and maybe beyond.
Bruno Fernandes and United’s front players might have spearheaded the recent revival under Michael Carrick, but Maguire has been equally critical.
Where did the revival start? Can you pinpoint an exact moment? We can all identify the 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford in Carrick’s first game, obviously. But if you’re after one key catalytic moment, I’m going for Maguire’s ‘exchange’ with Bernardo Silva, early in the game, in front of the Stretford End.
Maguire was given a little shove by the Portuguese, while shepherding the ball out for a goal kick. Had Roy Keane been commentating, he might have utilised a saying from one of his many famous viral clips: “I’m not too sure that was a clever move.”
In classic Harry style, Silva was given a little bit back. A ‘message’ was sent, with the eyes and the arms, and up the crowd went. And after that, they never came back down, as players and fans came together in unison for a shared mission: to make the remaining minutes as uncomfortable as possible for Guardiola’s men.
That little amuse-bouche was no surprise to anyone that has watched Maguire play for United – or at international level, for England – but it was a clear restatement of what he knows in his bones: that personality, pride and fight are essential components in the best Manchester United players and the best Manchester United teams. Following his lead, Carrick’s men have kept those principles alive ever since.
It hasn’t always been in evidence in our teams since Maguire joined, but it has always been present in Maguire, and that’s why the overwhelming majority will be happy today. (The news is doubly important given the forthcoming departure of another experienced competitive monster, Casemiro.)
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I was there when Maguire made his debut at Old Trafford, against Chelsea, back in 2019, and you sensed immediately that here was a footballer absolutely ready for the vast levels of expectation placed on United players.
I was there too at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin in 2023, when he was jeered by a small portion of the crowd during a 1-1 draw against Athletic Club in pre-season. It must have been an awful moment to live through. But Maguire, as always, endured.
How sad it must have been to hand the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes in 2022. How hard it must have been to start relatively few games during Erik ten Hag’s first two seasons. All United careers contain ups and downs, of course, but the uncomfortable truth is that some of those downs can completely break a player’s spirit.
Maguire never came close to acknowledging that possibility, and has responded to each difficult period by demonstrating the real-world values that have shaped him: a pride in working hard, in putting your hand up when the going gets tough, in sticking your nose right in where it might hurt.
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Look at the list of his goals for our club. Chelsea away. Leeds away. A winner at Anfield earlier in this season. A last-minute equaliser in Porto. An extra-time clincher at Norwich in the FA Cup.
Was it any coincidence that when United were down 4-2 to Lyon, in that famous Europa League second leg, that the players that did most to rescue United were Maguire and his fellow stalwarts Casemiro and Fernandes? (And let’s not forget Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo either, who, at 20, has already formed a habit of producing when the tension levels are raised to ‘unbearable’.)
Even in the debacle at Grimsby earlier in the season, Maguire never played like he was affected by the threat of humiliation that seemed to cast such a spell over United’s collective performance. As always, he headed straight for the centre of the battle, heading home our late equaliser in a penalty-area stramash. Humiliation did follow in the penalty shootout that followed, but Maguire had given it everything.
All of those qualities stem from his character; from his understanding of what football means, particularly here in the north of England. His family members are in attendance at every game he plays, and he competes like that’s at the forefront of his mind. He wants to do them proud and, by extension, the fans that surround them in the stands.
Of course, Maguire has been a fan too. A real fan. Not just someone who likes football because they are good at it. But a proper, paying match-goer, who has followed England at international tournaments and stood on the terraces at Bramall Lane. Not all elite footballers play with that sense of wider duty to those outside the bubble, but for Maguire it is fundamental.
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This contract will take him beyond his 34th birthday (maybe his 35th, if the extra year is implemented) and who knows how long he will stay? Rio Ferdinand left aged 35, as did Steve Bruce, and United have four younger central defenders – De Ligt, Heaven, Martinez and Yoro – who will all be straining to take Maguire’s place.
But whether they manage that or not, Maguire will not change. He’ll be fighting to do the best for his team-mates, his family and friends, and the fans in the stands. Fighting to compete and earn his place, while wishing his colleagues well and doing what he can to help them.
Given the significant reshaping of the United squad over the last couple of years, and the likely changes still to come, his ongoing presence feels steadying. Essential, even.
Let’s hope the final phase of his United career is the best, and sees us return to competing for the trophies that have eluded him so far. The ones by which this club should always be judged: the Premier League and the Champions League. For the first time in a few years, that ambition does not seem quite so outlandish.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.
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