Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has expressed his doubts over the defending ability of the club’s latest acquisition, Harry Maguire.
As reported by The Sun, former Manchester United midfielder and legend Roy Keane has claimed that he has question marks over the defensive abilities of star centre-back Harry Maguire, who joined the club this past summer.
Maguire arrived at Manchester United only a month ago, joining from fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City in a deal worth £80 million, which made him the world’s most expensive defender. The 26-year-old signed a six-year deal with the 20-time English champions, with the option of an additional twelve months. United beat local rivals Manchester City to the defender’s signing.
Maguire has started each of the Red Devils’ four Premier League matches. In his debut against Chelsea, the England international put in an impressive display, helping Manchester United to a clean sheet. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men haven’t been able to manage a shut-out in their subsequent three fixtures, with Maguire not quite as solid as he can be.
The 26-year-old has been hailed for his ball-playing abilities, but former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has claimed that he is not entirely convinced about Maguire’s overall defensive qualities, primarily questioning his turn of pace.
Speaking on ITV during the ongoing international break about Maguire’s performances for Manchester United, the former Red Devils’ superstar said, “I think he’s done OK. We were talking about how good he is on the ball, but defensively I still think he’s… I still have one or two question marks over him.”
“I always worry about his pace on the turn, I remember the first goal against Crystal Palace where he’s not doing the basics – covering round his other centre-half. Listen he’s 26 years of age now, you’re worried if you’re pointing these things out to him.”
Maguire has grown leaps and bounds in the past two years and has made huge strides in his career. While there have been questions raised over the amount of money Manchester United spent on the 21-time capped England international, he has shown that he can be the answer to the Red Devils’ defensive problems in the long run.
Keane’s claims are not completely unjustified, but Maguire is still just one month-old into his tenure at Manchester United and his partner Victor Lindelof’s poor form hasn’t been of great help either. The defender has proven himself at this level and should continue to improve in the coming weeks for his new club.
