Man Utd defender Harry Maguire signed a new contract this week to extend his stay at Old Trafford by at least another season.
Earlier this week, Harry Maguire shared an image signing his new contract, along with his two daughters, who wore Manchester United shirts with ‘Daddy’ on the back.
The caption alongside the picture read: “My club.” Maguire has spent more time at United than any other club, but you would have got long odds on his association potentially lasting as many as nine years when he was in the doldrums in 2023.
Maguire signed a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months, meaning he could stay in Manchester until 2028. The defender was born in Sheffield, but it’s across the Pennines where he now calls home.
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Maguire’s time at United looked set to end in the summer of 2023. He suffered a huge loss of form in 2021/22 and made eight league starts in the following campaign under Erik ten Hag, who stripped him of the captaincy.
West Ham were interested in signing him and, in another world, Maguire moved to the London Stadium. He stayed, fought for his place and enjoyed a renaissance instead. Who doesn’t love a comeback story?
Maguire has become a fan favourite and there’s no doubt that the peaks and troughs have helped to endear him to supporters. He was mocked, once being booed by England ‘fans’ on international duty, and he showed extraordinary mental resilience to come through that period.
“Sometimes it did cross my mind at the time just thinking, ‘Why? I don’t know why it has done this. I don’t know where it’s come from’,” he said of dealing with the abuse during a chat with journalists last week.
“My form dipped a little bit, yeah, of course, everyone does that in their career. But I was in a situation where I was just a lad from Sheffield playing for such a huge club. I thought this is what happens – this is the fault of the club not performing well.
“But when you look back it probably did go a little bit too far. At the time, I can remember thinking I just don’t know how this has really happened. I don’t know how it’s changed so quickly.”
Maguire’s mentality is the reason his situation has changed quickly. Not many players would be able to survive at United having reached such a low point, but the England international got his head down and worked hard.
The result is that he remains hugely important at United. The Reds needed to retain Maguire’s experience and quality, so it was a no-brainer to tie him down to a new deal on reduced terms.
There have been ringing endorsements since his contract was announced. “Harry has been here very long. I always say this in a way that is easy to understand. People like fresh meat, when you have the same meat for too long, you want a new one, and football is like that,” Bruno Fernandes told Men in Blazers.
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“You have the same players and people want to change them, but when you change them and it doesn’t work out, you want those players back. People want new names, they want excitement and different people with the shirt, and that’s normal. H has coped very well with that.
“He’s been very important in many moments for us, and he deserves this recognition from the club because he’s very important for the team and the dressing room. Losing someone of his experience and his voice for a season when things will change, you still need some pillars at the club.”
Michael Carrick told Sky Sports: “We’re delighted that Harry’s agreed, and it’s been done, and I think stability and consistency [are] important. He’s been through everything at this club. He knows what it’s all about.
“The way he handles himself, his character and he’s been terrific since I’ve [come] back and credit to him for that, really. I think the experience is important. We got a really good mix within the squad of some really talented and high-end ability-wise, younger players.”
Carrick added: “We have a good number of players in what we kind of class as the peak years. And Harry’s obviously at that stage where he is getting a little bit further down the line in terms of career.
“But it doesn’t diminish the importance of what he can be and the example and the understanding [he has]. And a little bit of just knowing what it feels like to be here and so to have him around for longer is fantastic.”
Jason Wilcox said: “Harry represents the mentality and resilience required to perform for United. He is the ultimate professional who brings invaluable experience and leadership to our young, ambitious squad. Harry is completely determined to help United to achieve regular and sustained success.”
Maguire has the backing of all the important figures at United.
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