Ex-Man Utd coach hints at unusual Harry Maguire role amid Erik ten Hag standoff

12 September 2023 , 09:55

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Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant Mike Phelan believes Harry Maguire could play as a defensive midfielder for Manchester United.

Maguire, 30, is a centre-back by trade but has fallen behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and perhaps Jonny Evans in the pecking order at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag also stripped Maguire of the captaincy during the summer.

The England international was considering a move to Premier League rivals West Ham in August, but the proposed transfer was cancelled when contract talks stalled. That has left Maguire in limbo, with the Euros taking place in Germany next summer.

Yet Phelan, who was Maguire's manager at Hull, believes he could play further up the pitch. The former Man Utd coach thinks Maguire is a "top player" who is composed on the ball and will "give everything" for the Red Devils when called upon this season.

"I had him at Hull," Phelan told Sky Sports when asked about Maguire. "Harry came to the club from Sheffield United and he played a bit as a sitting defensive midfield player there. At Hull, he was building up to the player we thought he would be."

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Maguire played as a midfielder during his time in the Blades' academy but became a centre-back just before turning professional. He was a fan favourite at Bramall Lane after playing 166 games and winning the club's Player of the Year award three times.

Maguire moved to Hull in the summer of 2014 when they were a Premier League club. He didn't play much during his first season in East Yorkshire, spending time on loan at Wigan, but became a first-team player after they were relegated to the Championship.

Maguire played an important role in helping Hull win promotion back to the Premier League and did well during the 2016/17 campaign to earn a move to Leicester the following year. Then, in the summer of 2019, he joined Man Utd in an £80million deal.

Phelan added: "We always knew he had strengths and weaknesses, most players do. Then the United thing came along and at that time, Harry was a top player. Nobody could say he wasn't a top player in that position having played at Leicester.

"Yes, the fee was a lot. But you're not in control of that. Having come to United, he did really well. He had composure on the ball."

Harry Maguire is struggling for minutes at Manchester United (Getty Images)

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Phelan believes Maguire has struggled at United because of their unsettled midfield and backline. He added: "What he didn't have was a settled environment of who played in front of him, who sat alongside him. He jumped in at the deep end a little bit."

Phelan has praised Maguire for handling his difficult situation at Old Trafford "unbelievably professionally" and believes a transfer "might still happen" in January. Ferguson's former right-hand man added: "He's a good footballer.

"Yes there are weaknesses in his game. But they were there in his days at Hull. Some say you should improve your weaknesses, but I'm a believer in keeping on playing to strengths.

"His ability on the ball, he can read the game, he can definitely score a goal, and he's a good guy. He's one of the good guys in football. He plays for England, and hopefully will do for a long time, and he turns up - he doesn't shirk his responsibilities. So credit to Harry."