Manchester United’s disappointing draw at Brentford on Saturday marked an important day for defender Harry Maguire as he recorded his 200th appearance for the club.
Arriving for £80m in 2019, 31-year-old defender Maguire has branded his position at United as a “huge honour” as he looks back on his double century of games.
Maguire is now one of eight players in the current squad who have 200 United appearances, joining teammates such as Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes to reach that milestone. Yet from all of those games, the one he classes as his “biggest highlight” is still his debut back in August 2019 – a 4-0 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford with a clean sheet and Man of the Match performance.
“[I] signed not many days before the first game of the season, [and] obviously got put straight into the team,” he told club media.
“It was a great occasion, playing at Old Trafford in front of the fans. It was a sunny day against Chelsea and to get the 4-0 victory on my debut is something I’ll never forget. It was a moment with all my friends and family in the stand and a really proud day for myself.
“The pressure of the opening day of the season is always the one, as players, you feel the most nervous in a season. You’ve had that period of off-season and to go out there [on] my debut, [at] Old Trafford [in that] atmosphere was unbelievable.”
But there are a couple of other big standout moments for Maguire too.
“Playing in the Manchester derby, the one at Old Trafford before Covid was an unbelievable atmosphere,” he said. “It’s probably one of the best I’ve played in, where Scott [McTominay] scores in the last minute. Obviously, lifting the Carabao Cup as well was a huge moment for me.
“This club demands winning trophies. We got beaten in a Europa League final under Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] in a penalty shootout, which was tough to take. But to [win a trophy] in Erik [ten Hag]’s first season was really impressive. The lads did a great job and thoroughly deserved a trophy.”
Manchester United return to action on Thursday when they face Chelsea in the Premier League.
SOURCE – Harry Maguire reveals his 3 favourite moments as a Man Utd player (90min.com)
