Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire is gradually gaining his reputation after putting in a dominant display for England in the ongoing World Cup campaign.
The captain of Manchester United was under immense pressure going into the World Cup campaign after being benched by his club.
However, Gareth Southgate chose to travel to Qatar with his dependable centre-back instead of listening to the criticizers and pundits, and so far, he has not let him down.
In the opening match against Iran, the 29-year-old played admirably and even assisted on one goal while nearly scoring one himself. He then excelled for England in their disappointing tie with the United States in the previous match. Even though he didn’t have to play much against Wales, he was still a reliable presence in the back, and his passing helped put the Welsh under pressure.
As per Squawka, Maguire finished the game with a remarkable 92% pass completion rate and 92 touches. A game-high five long balls were also completed by the centre-back. The United captain was outstanding in the air as expected, winning all of his aerial duels while also making three clearances and one interception.
Maguire has been given Southgate’s preferred left centre-back position, a responsibility that Ten Hag has not given the defender since the player’s arrival at the club.
Ten Hag’s options will undoubtedly be improved by the former Leicester City player’s growing confidence and display of his passing range.
However, given Raphael Varane’s history of injuries, Maguire may get a chance to feature for the Reds. Maguire will be relieved to be playing frequently and to have his manager’s confidence.
Another United player Marcus Rashford scored twice for England as they won 3-0 to claim first place in their group and advance to the knockout round where they will take on Senegal.
