Neville backs 'bulletproof' Maguire to regain Man Utd spot

FT Desk

• Updated: 1 Dec 2022 13:05 GMT
• 3 min read

Harry Maguire still has a future at Manchester United following his England performances according to club legend Gary Neville.

Maguire's Man Utd future was beginning to look bleak under Erik ten Hag this season. The new manager, who replaced Ralf Rangnick as manager in April, reconfirmed the centre-back as club captain, but then dropped him.

Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have emerged as the Dutchman's first choice central defensive partnership, and Maguire has been restricted to just three Premier League starts, and subjected to no little abuse from fans online.

READ: Why Harry Maguire is fantastic for England and a flop for Man Utd

But Gareth Southgate, for one, has stuck by Maguire, and the big defender has impressed with his England performances in Qatar, helping the Three Lions progress to the knock-out stages at the top of Group B with just two goals conceded.

Neville, who made 600 appearances as a right-back with Man Utd and another 85 with England, thinks Maguire still has a future at Old Trafford.

'He'll come through it'

"Harry's a good player and a good centre-back who's been brilliant at the last two tournaments," he told Sky Sports. "He's just had an awful time at United in the last 12 months and United is a very unforgiving place.

READ: 10 players who could join Man Utd in January

"I know that from being there for 20 years. If something isn't right, that place can eat you alive, and Harry's just getting that at the moment. But I think he will come through it at United."

Neville then used Maguire's United and England teammate Marcus Rashford - who has top scored in Qatar with three goals - as an example.

"Look at Marcus, he's been through a difficult period where he probably thought 'Is my own club turning on me, is my own city not mine anymore? Do I need to move somewhere else?'," he continued. "But he's come out of it the other side."

Maguire became the world's most expensive centre-back when he swapped Leicester for Man Utd in an £80 million (€87m) deal in August 2019.