Harry Maguire

Jacob Harry Maguire (born 5 March 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Manchester United and the England national team.

Maguire came through the youth system at Sheffield United before graduating to the first team in 2011. He made 166 appearances for United and was the club's Player of the Year three seasons in succession, also featuring in the PFA Team of the Year for League One as many times. In 2014, he transferred to Hull City for £2.5 million, before being loaned to Wigan Athletic in 2015. He joined Leicester City in 2017 for an initial fee of £12 million and in the 2017–18 season he played in every minute and was named Player of the season. Maguire moved to Manchester United in 2019 for a fee believed to be £80 million, a world-record amount for a defender, and within six months was appointed club captain, a role he held until 2023.

Maguire played one match for the England national under-21 team in 2012. He made his senior debut in 2017, and was chosen for the England squads for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and for UEFA Euro 2020. He earned a place in the Team of the Tournament in the latter.

Early life
Jacob Harry Maguire was born on 5 March 1993 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and was raised in the nearby village of Mosborough. His brothers, Joe and Laurence, are also footballers. He attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary School in Spinkhill and St Mary's Roman Catholic High School in Chesterfield. From 7 to 16 years old, Maguire played as central midfielder for Sheffield United's academy.

2011–2012


After coming through the youth system at Sheffield United, and with the team struggling against relegation, Maguire was promoted to the first-team squad, making his debut after coming on as a half-time substitute and winning the man of the match award in a home match against Cardiff City in April 2011. He made four further appearances that season but could not prevent the club from being relegated to League One.

Having cemented his place in the first team, Maguire scored his first goal for United in a 2–0 win away Oldham Athletic on the opening day of the 2011–12 League One season. Having been ever present from the start of the season Maguire was handed an extended deal in October to keep him at Bramall Lane until 2015. He continued in great form as United pushed for promotion from League One and was rewarded at the end of the season when he was named as both "Player of the Year" and "Young Player of the Year" by the club. The BBC's Match of the Day magazine selected Maguire in its League One Team of The Year for 2011–12. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year that season for League One.

2012–2014
Maguire went into the following season as first choice in the centre of defence and his good form continued as he scored twice on 17 October 2012 in a 4–1 away victory over Notts County in the Football League Trophy. By the end of February 2013, Maguire had made his 100th start for United in a 0–0 home draw against Leyton Orient at the age of just 19. His performances during the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year for League One again.

On 21 June 2014, it was revealed that United had offered Maguire an improved contract amid interest from Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with United already rejecting a £1 million and an improved £1.5 million bid from Wolves.

2014–2016


On 29 July 2014, Maguire joined Hull City in a deal worth £2.5 million, signing a three-year contract. He made his debut for the Tigers on 21 August in the UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg away to Lokeren of Belgium, a 1–0 defeat. He did not make his Premier League debut until 20 December, when he replaced the injured Curtis Davies for the final 13 minutes of a home loss by the same score against Swansea City.

After making only six appearances across all competitions at Hull, Maguire joined Wigan Athletic of the Championship on a one-month loan deal on 10 February 2015. A week later, he debuted in a 1–0 win at Reading. On 28 February, he scored a header from Jermaine Pennant's cross in a 3–1 win away to Blackpool. Having played as many games in his month-long loan as he had for Hull in the first half of the season, Maguire's stay at the DW Stadium was extended until the end of the season.

2016–2017
While Maguire was out on loan, Hull had been relegated to the Championship. On 28 May 2016, they won promotion back with a 1–0 play-off final win over Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley Stadium, with him replacing goalscorer Mohamed Diamé in the final minute.

In the 2016–17 season, Maguire established himself as a first-team regular under manager Mike Phelan. Maguire scored his first goal for Hull on 25 October 2016 in a 2–1 away win against Bristol City in the EFL Cup. Maguire captained Hull in their league victory against Middlesbrough on 5 April 2017 and scored his first Premier League goal in the 4–2 win. In a season that ended with relegation, he was voted Hull's Player of the Year by both the fans and the players.

Leicester City
On 15 June 2017, Maguire signed for Premier League club Leicester City on a five-year contract for an initial £12 million fee, potentially rising to £17 million with add-ons. He made his debut on 11 August as the season began with a 4–3 loss away to Arsenal, and eight days later he scored his first goal for Leicester, heading in Riyad Mahrez's corner to conclude a 2–0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion. He played in every minute of the 2017–18 season and was awarded player of the season, as well as players' player of the season at the club's end of season awards.

Amid speculation about a transfer to Manchester United for a potential world-record fee for a defender, Leicester manager Claude Puel confirmed on transfer deadline day of 9 August 2018 that Maguire would stay at the club, his only travel to Manchester being to face United with the Leicester squad in the fixture on the following evening.

2019–20 season
In July 2019, Manchester United made a £70 million bid for Maguire, a year after the club backed down from a deal because the same fee was considered too high. They made an improved bid, believed to be £80 million, which was accepted by Leicester on 2 August. The fee surpassed the £75 million Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, making Maguire the world's most expensive defender. The transfer was completed on 5 August, with Maguire signing a six-year contract with the option of a further year. He made his United debut in their opening match of the Premier League season, a 4–0 home victory over Chelsea on 11 August, and received the Man of the Match award.

On 17 January 2020, Maguire was named as club captain by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær following Ashley Young's departure to Inter Milan. Nine days later, he opened up a 6–0 FA Cup win against Tranmere Rovers by scoring his first goal for United. He scored his first Premier League goal for United on 17 February against Chelsea in a 2–0 away win. On 27 June, after the three-month delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, United's FA Cup run resumed with a quarter-final tie against Norwich City which finished 2–1, Maguire scoring the winning goal deep into extra time. He played a significant part in United's successful 2019–20 Premier League campaign, which saw the team finish in third place – their second-highest league finish since the retirement of Alex Ferguson. He played in every minute of United's 38-game league campaign, becoming the first outfield player to do so for the club since 1995.

2020–21 season: Europa League final


On 17 October 2020, Maguire scored his first goal of the season, equalising in the 23rd minute in a league match against Newcastle United that eventually ended in a 4–1 away win. On 27 January 2021, he equalised in the 64th minute even though the match ended in a 2–1 home loss against his former club Sheffield United, which ended a 13-match unbeaten run since the team lost to Arsenal on 1 November 2020. When several teammates received racist threats following the loss, Maguire joined other past and present United players condemning the abuse. He played the full 90 minutes on 2 February in United's Premier League record-equalling 9–0 home win against Southampton.

On 25 April, in a scoreless draw against Leeds United, he equalled Gary Pallister's club record for playing the most league games without being substituted, by playing the full 90 minutes for his 71st consecutive Premier League game. He was unable to break the record, for owing to an ankle injury, he had to be substituted in the 72nd minute of the subsequent game on 9 May, a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa. On 26 May, Maguire missed the 2021 Europa League final against Villarreal due to injury, in which United lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

2021–2023: Loss of form and EFL Cup win
On 20 October 2021, Maguire scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–2 win over Atalanta. On 20 February 2022, he scored his only Premier League goal of the season in 4–2 away win over Leeds United. Despite winning approximately twice as many duels as he lost in the 2020–21 season, Maguire admitted enduring a "tough" time in which Manchester United finished sixth with their lowest points tally since the formation of the Premier League, in which they conceded 57 goals during the season, the most since the 1978–79 season. Maguire also came under intense criticism for his performances as many believed he had failed to show consistency.

In the 2022–23 season, Maguire started only eight Premier League matches as new manager Erik ten Hag used Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martínez as his first-choice central defensive partnership. On 26 February, Maguire won the 2023 EFL Cup final as Manchester United beat Newcastle United 2–0 at Wembley Stadium, winning his first trophy with the club though he did not start in the game. Maguire subsequently lifted the trophy with on-field captain Bruno Fernandes, having agreed to do so beforehand providing United won the final. Recounting on his experiences of the 2022–23 season the year after the events occurring within it, Maguire commented: "I played a few games last year, I just didn't play as many as I would have liked… I had two or three opportunities to get a run of games but I broke down with illness and broke down with injuries twice, so I never got the rhythm and never got the run of games so I could prove myself to the manager [ten Hag]."

2023–present: Rise in form
On 16 July 2023, Maguire announced that he had been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy after a discussion with manager Erik ten Hag. He was also linked with a transfer to West Ham United. On 20 July, Bruno Fernandes was named as Maguire's replacement as club captain. On 28 July, Manchester United rejected an offer of £20 million for Maguire from West Ham United. Two weeks later, the clubs agreed a fee of around £30 million. On 16 August, West Ham announced that there would be no transfer as Maguire wished to stay at Manchester United and fight for his place in the team. After a number of games in the 2023–24 season, Maguire replaced Raphaël Varane in manager Erik ten Hag's preferred centre-back pairing. Ten Hag stated that there had been "internal competition" due to Maguire's rich vein of form and said that his decision had been made due to "tactical reasons".

On 7 October 2023, Maguire provided an assist for Scott McTominay to score his second goal in late stoppage time to give United a 2–1 comeback win against Brentford. On 24 October, he scored the only goal in his first Champions League match of the season, which ended in a 1–0 victory against Copenhagen, to be his club's first and only win in the competition that season. On 12 November, commenting on his decision to stay at Manchester United, Maguire stated: "I really enjoy playing for this club and I was willing to stay and fight for my place." On 6 December, after Maguire had played an integral role in United keeping clean sheets in all their three matches in November, he won the Premier League Player of the Month award for that month. He thus became the first United defender to win the award since Nemanja Vidić in January 2009. Commenting on his award, Maguire stated that he could not "have done it without… [his] team-mates, the staff and… [the] fans", adding that the "love and support" of such people had not gone "unnoticed" and that he "appreciate[d]" this.

Youth
Maguire qualified to play for England, as well as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents. He was called up to the England national under-21 team for the first time in November 2012 for a friendly against Northern Ireland. Danny Wilson stated "He has got a fantastic maturity for his age, he takes everything in his stride and nothing fazes him. I don't expect this call-up to either because he is such a level headed character." Maguire duly made his England under-21 debut as a substitute in the 60th minute, coming on for Liverpool's Andre Wisdom in a 2–0 win against Northern Ireland Under-21s at Bloomfield Road.

Senior


On 24 August 2017, England manager Gareth Southgate included Maguire in his squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Malta and Slovakia. He made his debut when starting in England's 1–0 away win over Lithuania, which was the team's final match in their successful World Cup qualification campaign. Maguire was named in the England squad for the 2018 World Cup. He assisted Harry Kane's winner against Tunisia on 18 June 2018 in England's World Cup opener. England won 2–1. Maguire scored his first England goal on 7 July with a 30th-minute header from Ashley Young's cross in a 2–0 win over Sweden in the quarter-final.

At UEFA Euro 2020, Maguire played his first match against Czech Republic in the last fixture of the group stage. Afterwards, he featured in the round of 16, when England won 2–0 against Germany, for which he was awarded the Star of the Match. On 3 July 2021, Maguire scored the second goal for England in a 4–0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

Maguire started in the semi-finals against Denmark, and then in the final against Italy, in which the score was 1–1 after 120 minutes. In the resulting penalty shoot-out Maguire scored England's second penalty, however, England went on to lose 3–2. His performances during the tournament earned him a place in the Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament.

On 15 November 2021, Maguire scored the opening goal in a 10–0 victory over San Marino on the final day of 2022 World Cup qualification, making him England's highest-scoring defender with seven goals, surpassing John Terry and Jack Charlton. Maguire was selected for England's squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where he earned praise for a controlling performance in a 0–0 draw against the United States – a game in which he made his 50th appearance for England – as well as for consistent and successful performances in the latter stages of the tournament. Maguire was selected for Sky Sports's 2022 World Cup Team of the Tournament.

On 6 June 2024, Maguire was dropped from the England squad for Euro 2024 after failing to recover from a calf injury.

Style of play
Recognised for his authoritative defending, Maguire is also known for his composure on the ball as well as his physical strength and presence. He is also known for his ability to score powerful headers.

Personal life
In February 2018, Maguire got engaged to his long-term girlfriend Fern Hawkins after seven years of dating. The couple married on 25 June 2022 at the Chateau de Varennes in South Burgundy, France. On 3 April 2019, Maguire announced that Hawkins had given birth to their first child, a daughter. Maguire and Hawkins had their second daughter on 9 May 2020.

Altercation in Greece
On 21 August 2020, Maguire was arrested on the Greek island of Mykonos after an incident involving the police. Manchester United said in a statement that Maguire was "fully co-operating with the Greek authorities". Maguire appeared in court on the island of Syros the following day, after spending two days in detention. He was released from custody with his trial postponed until 25 August. On 25 August, Maguire was convicted of all charges, and found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery by a court on the island of Syros. Maguire was absent at the court ruling. The same day, Maguire was given a suspended jail term of 21 months and 10 days, for it was a first offence and the three charges were classed as misdemeanours.

On 26 August 2020, Maguire's legal team lodged an appeal against the court verdict. While Manchester United and some British media sources have asserted that his conviction is nullified, this is disputed by the prosecution. On 5 March 2021, it was reported that Maguire's appeal was unlikely to take place that year, and that while the prosecution are keen for the case to be resolved as quickly as possible, proceedings could theoretically be delayed until 2028.

Bomb threat
In 2022, Maguire was targeted with a bomb threat, resulting in the police sweeping his house for devices.

International

 * England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Maguire goal

Honours
Hull City
 * Football League Championship play-offs: 2016

Manchester United
 * EFL Cup: 2022–23
 * FA Cup runner-up: 2022–23
 * UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21

England
 * UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020
 * UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19

Individual
 * PFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 League One, 2012–13 League One, 2013–14 League One
 * PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2013–14 League One
 * Football League One Team of the Season: 2013–14
 * Football League Young Player of the Month: August 2011
 * Sheffield United Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
 * Sheffield United Young Player of the Year: 2011–12
 * Hull City Fans' Player of the Year: 2016–17
 * Hull City Players' Player of the Year: 2016–17
 * Leicester City Player of the Season: 2017–18
 * Leicester City Players' Player of the Season: 2017–18
 * UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
 * UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2020
 * Premier League Player of the Month: November 2023