Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire dedicates his goal against Leeds United to seven-year-old boy battling cancer
Taking to his Twitter account (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United captain Harry Maguire dedicated his goal against Leeds United on Sunday to River Rhodes, who is battling cancer.
United took the lead in the derby with a fine header from Maguire in the first half, as the Englishman opened the scoring in the fixture which ended with the Red Devils coming up trumps in a 4-2 away win at Elland Road.
Maguire had met River last week, as the seven-year-old fan interacted with the United skipper and posed for photos and signed jerseys. A small gesture like this is sure to go a long way in the eyes of the young fan.
The win against Leeds helped United tighten their grips on fourth place, as the Manchester club now sit four points clear of West Ham United in their quest for Champions League football next season. However, they need to be wary of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur behind them, who have multiple games in hand to make up the points deficit.
Prediction comes true
Before the Leeds game, River had originally sent out a tweet to Maguire and the Manchester United account wishing them good luck for the derby. The cancer patient also asked Maguire to score a header and do a knee slide to celebrate, and the Red Devils skipper did exactly what was asked of him in the derby.
River hails from a family of Wolves fans but is currently in Manchester to receive radiotherapy treatment in his fight against cancer. United seem to be his favourite club, however, given the pictures that have come out with the child wearing a personalised kit when meeting Maguire.
It was an incredibly sweet gesture from the club captain, and it is sure to have made the young fan’s day. The fight against cancer is not easy to ride, but little things like this go a long way in helping young kids going through terrible ailments have some joy in their lives.
Maguire’s goal would also have done the player himself a big favour, with the defender facing much criticism from pundits and fans alike for his performances of late. The England international has been under fire for making glaring mistakes on the pitch, as United struggle to win matches.
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There were also talks about the United captaincy in question due to Maguire’s form, but the skipper responded to his critics with a well-taken header in the game. This is sure to silence the naysayers for a while.
United will hope that Maguire continues his good form against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League coming up next, as a place in the quarterfinals is up for grabs. This is our only chance at a trophy this season, and we can only hope that our captain can lead us to the summit by the end of the season.
