From "Manchester United Sinner" to "Europa League Savior"! How did Maguire turn his career around?

More than two years ago, the Europa League was the last straw that broke Harry Maguire's career back. He seemed to have no way out after the nightmare game when Manchester United was eliminated by Sevilla in the quarter-finals. But after rewriting his story at Old Trafford from "disaster" to "redemption" last year, Maguire has now become the "cult hero" of Manchester United's fantasy journey this season - when the team rushed to Bilbao to challenge Tottenham, he was the most unexpected standard-bearer. As the only key figure in Manchester United's unbeaten in three European matches, Maguire's defensive contribution is crucial, but more striking is his offensive attributes, which makes him the "non-secret weapon" of Ruben Amorin against Tottenham. Now, when he became the core of Manchester United on both ends of the offense and defense, and tried to save the team's bad season with a victory, it is necessary to review the painful showdown with Sevilla in April 2023 - it was that experience that made his current counterattack even more important...

Sevilla's Horror Night: From Captain to Fringeman

Although he was still the captain at the time, Maguire has gradually become a fringeman under Eric Tenhager, and even was demoted to the fifth central defender in some games. When Tenhager activated the third central defender, Luke Shaw's pick was ahead of him.

In Old Trafford's first leg leading Sevilla 2-0, Maguire made a substitute due to an injury to Raphael Varane. The Red Devils, who had already won, lost two goals in a row within 6 minutes. Maguire was "remembered" for an own goal - the ball first hit Ennesri in the head, and then bounced on him and entered the net, and De Gea failed to save. He had no choice but to herald the dilemma at that time: everything went wrong.

The second leg was in the hustle and bustle of Pisjuan Stadium, Maguire's return pass was cut off, and Ennesri scored in the eighth minute. This goal completely defeated Manchester United's confidence, and they were eliminated 2-5 in the end. Although the injury of Martines and Varane in the first leg was the main cause, many fans bluntly said: "Everything went smoothly before Maguire came on the court. "

"Unacceptable" cyber violence: From parliamentary mockery to mother's voice, Maguire only started one more game that season, and even more stubborn in the FA Cup final. After Tenghager deprived his captain of his armband, he became a favorite to leave the team in the summer window. West Ham's £30 million offer was accepted by Manchester United, but he was rejected. He did not want to be defeated by the sky - the public opinion attack at that time had reached its peak: In 2022, Ghanaian MP Isaac Odongo compared the country's vice president to Maguire, calling him "the biggest threat to Manchester United's defense line, intercepting his own players and giving assists to opponents"; In 2023, he scored an own goal in England's friendly against Scotland, and fans of Hampton Park Stadium booed him. Southgate said bluntly: "I have never seen a player be treated like this, which is simply a joke. "The mother also publicly condemned: "These attacks have long exceeded the scope of football and are disgusting. "

The road to counterattack: From the fifth central defender to the "guard with knife"

After choosing to stay in the team in the summer window of 2023, Maguire vowed to "fight for the position" and successfully impressed Tenhager: squeezed out Varane and returned to the starting lineup, and was rated as "a great leader, excellent defender, and a steady ball possession" by the coach, which was completely different from his attitude when he deprived the captain. Even the Ghanaian MP who mocked him back then apologized in November 2023: "Maguire has been transformed and can be regarded as a model of transformation. "

Although Manchester United experienced the worst record in Premier League history, Maguire missed the 2024 FA Cup and the European Cup due to injury, and his redemption story was once buried. At the beginning of this season, with De Ligt and Mazlawi joining, he was once again in a substitute crisis, and it was even reported that Manchester United was willing to sell for £10 million.

But the arrival of new coach Amorin changed everything: he first discovered Maguire's "rock" attribute on the defensive end - he repeatedly blocked his key blocks when away matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal; then unlocked his offensive potential:

against Nottingham Forest in April, the substitute changed to the center to create three opportunities within 9 minutes, and the expected goal value (0.6) exceeded Hoylund's previous 15 games;

In the UEFA Cup overtime stoppage time against Lyon, he turned into "October Solskjaer" headed the ball, completing the most magical reversal in Manchester United's European history; in the first leg of the semi-finals, he played against Bilbao, and made a precise cross after playing tricks on the right, helping Casemiro score. He was pictured as a "Brazilian player" by fans and won the new nicknames such as "Harra-dona" (Maguirinho version of Ronaldo), "Maguirinho".

Ultimate Redemption: From "couple" to "Key Mr. Key"

Manchester United's league performance this season (maybe the worst ranking in 51 years), but the UEFA Cup has become a "life-saving straw" - if you win the championship, you will not only win a £133 million Champions League qualification dividend, but also reshape the team's dignity. For Maguire, this final is more special: in 2021, he led the team to the UEFA Cup final as the captain, but missed the battle of Gdansk due to injury and witnessed the team's penalty defeat; in 2024, he missed the FA Cup final due to injury, and watched his teammates win the cup twice.

"It was a huge regret to miss the final against Villarreal. I was the captain at that time, and maybe the result would be different when I was present. " he admitted. Now, this "couple" who was once ridiculed by the entire network is expected to use a trophy to complete the ultimate response to doubters - when Manchester United urgently needs a goal, the "big head" in the penalty area may be the most reliable answer.