Maguire, an express captain

With football becoming more and more a world of divos, Harry Maguire imposes his simple, folksy figure, despite the fact that Manchester United paid 88 million euros for him to Leicester to make him the most expensive defender in history. The English center-back has not changed, he is still that dark boy from Sheffield with ungainly gait and perennial smile. How else can you live with so much money (17 million a year) and the health of a 27-year-old who plays soccer. His image arriving at the concentration of England with clothes put in garbage bags went viral in the summer of 2019, hours after signing a super contract as Red Devil.

That naturalness, perhaps, It has allowed him to become United captain in an express way, during his first campaign. He had worn the armband in several games before, but Ashley Young's transfer to Inter Milan in January precipitated his leadership. “He has become the leader of the group. It didn't surprise me, but it did impress me “says Norwegian coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had been looking for a reference like Harry for months, committed to the group. Not in vain, it is about the footballer accumulates the most minutes this season in the different European leagues, 5,412, including all those that have been played in the 38 days of the Premier League, 3,420. It was 15 years since a United footballer had completed the championship, It had been achieved by the central Gary Pallister in 1995.

“Maguire is just what we needed”, declared a few days ago Pallister himself, a legend of the United defense during the 90s and whose physical complexion (1.93), air power and good ball control remind something of the now head of the Mancunian defense. “Harry is not the kind of leader that Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce or Roy Keane were, but I think he knows that the rest of the players are going to be with him when they are needed. “

“Reaching the semifinals is not enough for us”, Maguire himself says to the PA news agency before facing Sevilla. “I came to Manchester United to win titles. We were third in the Premier and we needed more, but it is not bad seeing where we came from. Now we have the opportunity to play a final and raise a glass and we have to go for it. And doing it as captain of such a team is a pride for me “, concludes.