Harry Maguire's redemption: Snarling ex-Man Utd captain is finally looking like an £80m defender under Ruben Amorim

Maguire's first three seasons at United were not a complete disaster, but he was by no means the transformative signing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had hoped he would be. The Red Devils extended their trophy-less run to five years on the Norwegian's watch, and they were seventh in the Premier League table when he was relieved of his managerial duties in November 2021.

Things got even worse under Solskjaer's interim replacement Ralf Rangnick, and Maguire became a scapegoat for the team's poor performances. By the time Erik ten Hag took over in May 2022, Maguire was considered the weakest link in the starting XI, and the Dutchman acted by signing one of his former Ajax favourites, Lisandro Martinez, who quickly became the first-choice centre-back partner for Raphael Varane.

Maguire was restricted to just 16 starts across all competitions in 2022-23 as United lifted the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League, and although he remained dignified in a reduced role, serious questions were asked over his future at Old Trafford. West Ham saw an opportunity to sign him for a cut-price fee, and the move seemed inevitable after Ten Hag confirmed that he was stripping Maguire of his captaincy duties.

But he was never going to leave without a fight. "After discussions with the manager he has informed me he is changing captain," Maguire said in a defiant post on social media. "He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I'm personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt."

Maguire's proposed switch to West Ham eventually fell through, and true to his word, he gave blood sweat and tears to the United cause upon his return to action. The former Leicester ace gradually won his place back, in part due to Martinez being laid low with serious injuries, and looked like a player reborn without the weight of the captaincy.

A miraculous FA Cup triumph aside, United were a complete shambles last season, posting their worst-ever Premier League points total on their way to a humiliating eighth-placed finish, but Maguire was one of the few who could still hold his head up high. He delivered some colossal performances in defence while all those around him seemed to be losing their heads, most notably in a crucial 2-1 victory at Aston Villa.

There was to be a cruel twist of fate for Maguire, though. He picked up a serious calf injury that kept him out of United's final few games of 2023-24, and he was omitted from Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024 as a result. Maguire described that blow as the "toughest moment of my career to date" in an interview with Sky Sports, but it only strengthened his resolve.

The 31-year-old vowed to bounce back with United, adding: "I'm part of the future and it is time to crack on and make this club successful again, challenging for the big trophies. That's what this club demands."

Despite United plunging to new depths as a collective, Ten Hag was inexplicably given a contract renewal and another £200m ($61m) to spend on transfers last summer, with Dutch centre-back Matthijs de Ligt one of five new arrivals. The former Bayern Munich man was a direct replacement for Varane, who left the club as a free agent, and Maguire found himself pushed down the squad pecking order once again.

Maguire's misery was compounded when he suffered a muscle injury in early October, which forced him to sit out nine games across all competitions. January transfer rumours then began to surface, and United were reportedly ready to listen to offers as low as £10m for the towering centre-half. But as ever, he refused to pay attention to any of the outside noise.

By the time Maguire returned to full fitness in December, everything had changed. Ten Hag was finally sacked after breaking his own record for the worst start to a season in United's history, with charismatic tactician Ruben Amorim drafted in from Sporting CP to replace him.

Amorim started Maguire for the first time in the Premier League when United faced Manchester City in the derby at Etihad Stadium, and he proceeded to shut down Erling Haaland as the visitors earned a dramatic 2-1 victory. Maguire won all of his ground duels, posted a 100 percent tackle success rate and also made five interceptions after slotting in between De Ligt and Martinez seamlessly, much to the delight of Amorim.

The Portuguese coach said after seeing his 3-4-3 formation system properly pay off for the first time at United: "Maguire is perfect when you play with three defenders. He is perfect in the middle."

Maguire has been a fixture in Amorim's line-up since that encouraging derby display. No one is talking about a winter transfer for Maguire anymore, with the club having taken up the one-year extension option in his contract earlier this month, and United are slowly becoming a forced to be reckoned with again.

The Red Devils rounded out 2024 with three consecutive defeats against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle, which effectively ended their faint hopes of making the top four, but Amorim had openly admitted a "storm" was inevitable after his appointment. The 39-year-old is attempting to give United a proper identity for the first time since the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and it will take time for his vision to bear fruit, especially given the fact he inherited a squad full of players that are not ideally suited to his preferred formation.

But United showed real signs of progress in all areas of the pitch in a 2-2 draw with league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on January 5, and followed up that surprise result by knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage. Amorim's men avenged their 2-0 league defeat at Emirates Stadium just over a month ago in thrilling style, holding the Gunners to a 1-1 draw after extra-time despite playing the final 60 minutes with 10 men due to a stupid Diogo Dalot red card, before winning a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out.

United's goal-scorer Bruno Fernandes took most of the plaudits alongside back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time and repeated the trick against Kai Havertz in the shootout, but Maguire was the unsung hero. He was powerful and courageous throughout, making more clearances and blocks than any other player while commanding his team-mates to keep their shape like a general on the battlefield.

Maguire's fighting spirit shone through brightest after he stuck out his leg to try and stop Havertz in the game's most controversial incident. Replays showed that Havertz completely deceived referee Andy Madley by faking contact with Maguire, and with no VAR to call upon in this particular FA Cup tie, the official's decision to point the spot could not be overturned.

Odegaard was unfairly given the chance to win the game for Arsenal, who surely would have held on to a 2-1 lead with less than 20 minutes to go against 10 men had the midfielder converted the subsequent penalty. Maguire was furious, and pushed Gabriel Magalhaes out of his way to square up to Havertz, before appearing to call the German a 'cheating scumbag' as a mass melee erupted.

While it's impossible to condone such an insult, the first part of it was undeniably true. Maguire's reaction mainly stemmed from a sense of injustice, but also from his passion for United and will to win, which his team-mates fed off. Fernandes may now be wearing the captain's armband, but in the heat of battle, Maguire asserted himself as the true leader of the team.

After the win at Arsenal, Maguire opened up on the moment Amorim told him the good news about his contract, which is now due to run until June 2026.

"Ruben said to me that when it came across to him that I had an option [in my contract], he said it was a no-brainer for him," he told reporters. "It’s given me confidence and belief that they want me at the club and part of this project. I knew I needed to find something to stay at this club because it demands high standards and I feel like I’ve found something. Mentally and physically I feel good."

As long as that remains the case, United have a great chance of climbing out of the Premier League's bottom half and winning more silverware come May, with the Europa League also still up for grabs. In the past, Maguire's lack of agility and recovery speed were exposed in a traditional back four, but that's no longer an issue with De Ligt and Martinez on hand to flank him in Amorim's system.

Now, Maguire is able to focus on what he does best: dominating in the air, breaking up play and stepping out of defence to spray passes around. He's the first name on the United teamsheet again, and that may also be the case for England when Thomas Tuchel kicks off his reign with World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia in March.

Maguire will turn 32 that month, but it's entirely possible his best years could still be ahead of him. He may have to take a few more hits along the way, but United's snarling former skipper will always get up and keep moving forward.