Harry Maguire spent a lot of his Manchester United career as a laughing stock. Bought in for a staggering £80 million in the summer of 2019, he surpassed Virgil Van Dijk as the world's most expensive defender. His expectations, from that moment, were sky-high
The transfer made sense on the pitch; Maguire was one of the best defenders in the league for Leicester City. he was dominant in the air, and could cover the weaknesses of his centre-back partner Victor Lindelof, and was adept with the ball at his feet. His role for England in the 2018 World Cup also skyrocketed his value as he played a crucial role in England making it to the semi-finals. Despite all this, it was clear United had overpaid.
Maguire's career with United was marked by several high-profile errors, including a horror performance against Spurs, resulting in a 6-1 drubbing. By Erik ten Hag's tenure at the club, he was relegated to a squad player, behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, and was stripped of the club captaincy. He was even linked with a move away to West Ham, but refused the transfer in order to stay and fight for his place.
Maguire's most difficult period was marked by off the field troubles too, including an arrest in Greece for an incident involving the police, and a bomb threat reported at his family home. The latter caused something of a reset in the coverage surrounding him, as the media and fans alike realised that the abuse he had taken had gone too far.
Despite his troubled time under Ten Hag, he became something of a fan favourite. This was partly due to Ten Hag's tendency to play him as a forward towards the end of matches, where United were chasing a goal. The surprising success of this tactic led many to reconsider their position on the player.
When Ruben Amorim took over, Maguire became more frequently used. While he's still not a consistent starter on Amorim's team, his value this past season has largely been in clutch moments. He scored the late winner in the fifth-round FA Cup tie against Leicester.
Then came his crowning moment, and one of the crowning moments in recent history at Manchester United: his last minute winner against Lyon in a bombastic 7-6 aggregate win in the Europa League. Maguire's late winner, to cap off a monumental comeback in the last 10 minutes of extra time, caused one of the wildest nights in Old Trafford's history.
Maguire didn't even stop there, as just last week, he capped off a terrific performance against Liverpool by scoring the winner, ensuring United came home with their first victory at Anfield in almost a decade.
Through all the struggles, the hate from fans, including his own, and the reduced game time, Harry Maguire has been a model professional, continuing to train hard, continuing to lead, even if only from the bench, and continuing to pop up for United when it really matters. His story plays almost that of a folk hero; his lofty expectations, his fall, and his rise back to a hero of Old Trafford. It's almost romantic.
Let's say United fans had access to a crystal ball in 2019, and were presented with Maguire's career to this point: 6 years of service,174 appearances, two trophies, more great performances for England, and big goals in big moments, including the most memorable goal in Old Trafford's recent history, and a winner against United's biggest rivals. Would he be considered a laughing stock? Absolutely not.
But Maguire's story is all the better for the hardships he went through. He is a player who struggled, fought for his place, and now plays a huge role in the success of his team. His successes are all the more impressive when you remember his troubles in years past. Had United's leadership team known quite how important Maguire would be in the future, I imagine they would be more than happy to pay his £80 million price tag, and with the moments he brought this club, consider it money will spent.