Maguire to blame for struggles after rejecting Man Utd exit
Suraj Radia
- 14 Sept 2023 10:51 BST
- 4 min read
Things have not been going well for Harry Maguire for a long time, leading to Gareth Southgate leaping to the defence of the former Manchester United captain after his own goal for England this week.
There seemed an air of inevitability when Maguire came on as a substitute during the win over Scotland, with many home supporters (and perhaps even some England fans) jeering his every touch, culminating in the 30-year-old sticking a leg out to inadvertently divert the ball into his own net in the second half.
The reaction to the mistake prompted Southgate to brandish the criticism of Maguire as ‘an absolute joke’, while the defender himself spoke out and insisted he could handle the pressure.
READ MORE: 'Harry Maguire is as good as any Man Utd defender'
But the fact remains that Maguire’s career is in a dire state, having gone from the captain and a key figure United’s team to having made more starts for England over the past 18 months than his club in the Premier League.
Maguire undoubtedly needs a fresh start out of the spotlight at a club with less scrutiny yet, when given the opportunity to move to West Ham this summer, the player rejected the transfer after failing to agree personal terms.
While sympathy can be given to Maguire over the off-the-pitch impact his decline may have caused, the sentiment cannot be held onto for too long given his choice to continue in an obviously-toxic environment and the decision to reject the chance of a new beginning could be what sees the defender’s career continue to spiral.
England the only saving grace for Maguire after choosing money over logic
It is easy to forget that Maguire was once a standout performer in the Premier League, which led to interest from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City before United made him the world’s most expensive defender in 2019.
United boasted one of the best defences in the league during Maguire’s debut season at Old Trafford, where he played in every minute, and it was that talent that justified Southgate’s faith in him as a consistent starter for England.
But four years on from his move, Maguire has struggled to impose himself in Erik ten Hag’s team and is more prone to mistakes than ever before, making it increasingly difficult for Southgate to continue playing him, despite the show of support from the England boss.
With the European Championships approaching next summer, Maguire will likely be a part of Southgate’s squad regardless of game time at United but the pressure on the United star – as well as the criticism ¬– will only continue to grow as the merit over his selection dwindles.
Maguire reportedly turned down the move to West Ham after failing to agree a pay-off with United over the difference in salary, although his wages in London were expected to be in excess of £100,000-a-week, compared to £180,000 currently.
REVEALED: The details as to why Maguire stayed at Man Utd
The decision to reject a reasonable offer from a top club, seemingly largely for financial reasons, has not helped Maguire and it will take a dramatic change in fortunes for him to resurrect his career, with Southgate appearing to be a fading and lonely figure of support.
