Jose Mourinho praises Manchester United star Harry Maguire for his performances at Euro2020
Speaking to The Times (h/t The Metro), former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has heaped the praise on Harry Maguire for his performance at the Euros.
The 28-year-old has been one of England’s best players at the tournament this summer. His form is all the more impressive given that he missed a month leading up to the competition due to injury.
Maguire returned to action in England’s final group game against the Czech Republic and has not looked back since. He put in brilliant outings in subsequent wins over Germany and Ukraine, and is now set to face Denmark in tonight’s semifinal.
Mourinho too appears to have been taken in by the United skipper’s performance this summer. He believes that the defender’s arrogance aids his team’s cause against match officials.
“He uses that status, that power in the leadership, even in the communication with referees. You can see he is quite arrogant with referees and you need that — arrogance, in a polite way. He doesn’t have the armband but he acts on the pitch as a captain.”
Maguire took over as United skipper even before completing a year at the club. He has since grown into the role and today looks comfortable in the shoes of leadership. Mourinho believes the player has used that prestige to great effect on the pitch.
“He clearly has a voice. He is the captain of Manchester United.”
Maguire’s performances are not lost on Gareth Southgate and the England coaching staff either. They believe the defender has evolved since being made the United skipper. The 28-year-old is no Virgil van Dijk but he is a dependable player who can lead and inspire a backline to be the best version of themselves.
It can be argued that the game against Denmark is set up for Maguire to shine in. The last time the two teams met, Maguire was sent off after just 30 minutes. There is no better time than tonight for the United ace to have the final laugh.
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Maguire was a player that Mourinho wanted while at United. Unfortunately for the Portuguese, the defender arrived only after the club parted ways with his services. It would appear that despite not getting the opportunity to work with him, Mourinho holds Maguire in high regard.