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Harry Maguire has been scrutinized ever since he joined Manchester United from Leicester City three years ago in the biggest transfer for a defender ever. As United has faltered year after year, Maguire has become a sort of a villain among fans of the Old Trafford club.
This season, as the new manager arrived, Erik ten Hag replaced him with Lisandro Martinez and put the Argentine next to Raphael Varane. Maguire played in only nine total matches this season for Manchester United, four apiece in the Premier League and the Europa League, while he had a single appearance in the EFL Cup.
However, the England national team manager Gareth Southgate has all the confidence in the world placed with Maguire who played in all three of England’s matches in the first stage of the World Cup even assisting with one of the goals. It is almost a certainty that he will be in the starting lineup against Senegal on Sunday when England plays its last 16 matches.
England’s defense allowed only two goals in their three group matches, both of them courtesy of Iran in a 6-2 England win. Maguire and his teammates in the back didn’t allow goals against the United States and Wales.
Senegal will be a different kind of opponent, but without their biggest star Sadio Mane, they will have a hard time containing the talented England team, while at the same time searching for strikers who could break their opponent’s defensive wall.
Maguire puts Ronaldo and Kane together
While at the World Cup, it is obvious Maguire is enjoying his time in Qatar, he spoke with the crew of the Lions Den podcast who asked him to name his five-a-side team.
“I would put John Stones at the back, obviously with myself defending the goal. Declan Rice would command the middle, he protects everyone that comes around. Up front, there is no doubt, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo. Those two would win you a game before it even starts.”
It is interesting to notice that Maguire still gets on with Ronaldo, even with everything that transpired with the United legend. Before the World Cup started, Ronaldo gave a blockbuster, unsanctioned by Manchester United, interview with Piers Morgan where he torched the club down, disrespecting the manager, the club, and some of the younger players who he claimed ‘refused to train hard’.
Ronaldo was let go by United while at the same time agreeing to forfeit the money owed to him for the last six months of his contract.
The Portuguese international, who will play for his country in the last 16 of the World Cup, already has plenty of offers to continue his career abroad. Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr reportedly offered Ronaldo £180m per year, and according to some of the sources that are familiar with the negotiations, the former Real Madrid player is close to accepting the massive deal.
It was also rumored that he could join David Beckham’s Inter Miami side, but this now looks very unlikely, just as much as returning to the club where he started his career, Sporting Lisbon.
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