Manchester United’s Harry Maguire opens up about life at Old Trafford. As Manchester United prepare to walk out at Old Trafford for their final fixture of 2025 against Wolves tomorrow night, centre-back Harry Maguire has opened up about the “sink or swim” reality of life at the world’s most scrutinised club. In a deep-dive interview, Maguire speaks candidly about his six-year journey — a path marked by heavy responsibility, tactical shifts, and a hard-earned “redemption” that has defined his current campaign.
Reflecting on his time at the club, Maguire notes that the intensity of the Premier League is magnified tenfold at Manchester United. “You quickly realise things can turn real quickly when you’re at this club,” he admits. “You obviously know it’s a big club, but you don’t understand how big the analysis and the scrutiny is on everything you do.
Every tackle, every misplaced pass seems to be analysed. I’ve been really good at ignoring all that, whether it’s good or bad. “You need to handle the defeats well, but you also need to handle the victories well, because you can get pushed up really high, as if you’re one of the best players in the world, and you know what’s going to happen — they’re going to try and knock you back down.” Maguire speaks with honesty about his three-year tenure as captain, particularly the dip in form during his third season following the high-profile arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho.
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“The expectation was to challenge and really kick on, and it just never happened. It never clicked,” he reflects. “I was the captain, I was the face, and I faced the media after every defeat.
It’s tough when you feel like you’re repeating yourself to six or seven cameras, and you have to be careful what you say because it’s going to get analysed. “I felt like during that bad period, I was always trying to look after others and I maybe took my eye off myself in terms of my own performances. That’s probably where the dip came in.” A major highlight of this season was Maguire’s winner at Anfield — a goal that secured his place in United folklore.
“If that happened five or six years ago, I wasn’t experienced enough to realise how big the moment was,” Maguire says. “But for it to happen this season, when I’m experienced and I know how much it means… it’s a special moment.
I scored the header, and I didn’t know where I was in the stadium — I ended up running to the [Liverpool] fans instead of our fans. For us to stay resilient and show that spirit… I don’t think I’ll ever forget that one.”
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