Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has praised Harry Maguire for proving his critics wrong.
Ahead of the World Cup, there was a lot of scrutiny over Maguire following a series of poor performances for United over months.
However, Gareth Southgate chose to have faith in his trusted lieutenant and Maguire has so far paid off the England boss in spades.
Ferdinand wrote for the BBC about Maguire proving his critics wrong, saying: “He [Maguire] He came into this World Cup with his international place under scrutiny as well, but any questions he had about whether he should play for England in Qatar were answered immediately.”
Ferdinand referred to the Iran game, in which Maguire was excellent, as a pivotal moment for the United man. He was brilliant and even recorded an assist on his behalf.
Ferdinand opined for the BBC: “He got off to a positive start, got the ball and regained some confidence, and has continued to build his confidence in every game since.”
“He was our best player against the USA when he showed that he is an excellent defender when the ball goes into our box, and he was extremely composed against Wales as well.”
The six-time Premier League winner explored why Maguire appears to be a different player for club and country. Ferdinand attributed this to the different playing styles adopted by Southgate and Erik ten Hag.
While Southgate prefers to defend in a low block where Maguire is surrounded by other players, United Ten Hag require their centre-backs to defend very high up the pitch, leaving plenty of space behind.
A lack of pace and Maguire’s inability to recover and defend large spaces make him a liability for Ten Hag. With Southgate, he defends less and, when called upon, he has the advantage of closing tight spaces.
Another reason for Maguire’s England revival according to Ferdinand is the fact that he feels wanted by Southgate compared to Ten Hag.
Southgate has made Maguire feel important and a key member of the England set-up. Ferdinand suggested this is something Ten Hag hasn’t necessarily given the United captain.
