week. Maguire was admitted to hospital that night suffering from a concussion. Meanwhile, several of his
team-mates ended the evening in tears, realising what could well be the peak of their young careers had
ended in defeat.
It was never likely to be the end of the story for Maguire, the most eye-catching and imposing member of
that squad, though few ever expected him to be reacquainted with Pogba and Lingard eight years later as
the most expensive defender in world football. United’s £80m signing of a player, who was available to
them two years earlier for a fraction of that price, was finally confirmed yesterday.
The fee – which surpasses the £75m which Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk – has
predictably dominated much of the debate around the transfer. But there is a more relevant discussion to be
had about the 26-year-old’s particular qualities as a defender and what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants him to
bring to United. Leadership, as already outlined in these pages, is one factor for a manager looking to instil a
culture of players setting examples and taking responsibility.
Solskjaer also wants his United to play out from the back, though not necessarily along the floor. United
have often been happy to sit deep and spring quick counter-attacks under his management, most
memorably in the Parc des Princes in March. The emphasis is on moving the ball quickly. United therefore
needed a defender who is not limited to patient, methodical possession play. Only two centre-halves played
more accurate long passes per 90 minutes than Maguire in the Premier League last season.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling both managed less than half Maguire’s number of good, long passes. The
player likeliest to partner him in the centre of United’s defence, Victor Lindelof, hit more inaccurate long
balls than he did accurate ones. If quick transitions up the field of play are to be a big part of Solskjaer’s
United, a defender with the vision and composure of Maguire to play them is essential.
Another area where ‘Slabhead’ can give United an edge is less surprising. Maguire is understandably
dominant in the air: no centre-half to play regular top-flight minutes last season won a greater percentage of
their aerial battles. And curiously, no Premier League team was better at contesting the ball in the air last
year than United. The combination of two comes with plenty of promise and potential, particularly on set
plays.
It was an element of Maguire’s play which Leicester exploited to an extent, with four set-piece league goals
scored over the course of his two years in the east Midlands, but one which was truly maximised by England
at the World Cup. There, Maguire scored only once from a corner but assisted Harry Kane against Tunisia
and would have won a penalty against Panama if John Stones had not turned the ball in regardless.
It is not so much Maguire’s threat on set pieces which makes him dangerous but his mere presence. Last
year, underlying statistical models suggest Leicester were one of the most – if not, the most – threatening
team from set plays. How much of this was directly down to Maguire? How much of it was due to
opposition defenders paying particular attention to his megalithic head, thereby leaving gaps others could