Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag hailed Harry Maguire after the centre-back impressed on a rare start against Everton.
The 30-year-old made just his 12th Premier League appearance of the season in the comfortable 2-0 victory over the Toffees as he replaced Raphael Varane in the starting XI. Despite his lack of first-team football, Maguire did well throughout as he helped the Red Devils keep a second successive clean sheet.
It was a show of confidence from Ten Hag to hand Maguire a start in the first place and the England international did exactly what he needed to and impressed. After the game, the Dutchman heaped praise on Maguire and explained why he played so well.
Ten Hag said: "It's not that easy for Harry and if you then deliver the performance he did today, really well done. In and out of possession, dominating and dictating. That is my demand on him and he transferred that to the pitch."
This comes after it was revealed that United staff had doubts about Maguire's defensive capabilities and whether he could put in consistent performances for the club. ESPN reported that there is a perception Maguire lacks mobility, which is becoming increasingly vital in the modern game.
Another concern is when Maguire decides to to rush out of the backline in order to win challenges, which isn't always successful and harms their defensive structure. Those at Carrington are worried that may cost them in the future, especially if United are caught cold on the counter-attack against a pacey side.
Maguire has found himself as the third-choice centre-back this season behind Varane and Lisandro Martinez, with Victor Lindelof also battling for a regular spot in the side. With his lack of game time, Maguire has also been linked with a sensational return to Leicester - four years since leaving the Foxes.
He said in February: "I'm the club captain and I have a big responsibility on and off the pitch, so it was nice to get on and help the lads. The manager has been asked numerous times about my role in interviews and he tells me honestly that he believes in me, but this is football.
"The lads who are playing and starting, Raphael is playing really well and we've seen the manager's ideas, what he wants, and he does like a left-footed centre-back playing. So it’s high competition for places, but this is Manchester United. We want to win trophies, big trophies, and to do that you need competition.
"The manager speaks to me daily, he really respects me and believes that I'm a top centre-half with all the attributes to play in his team. But also he understands that the players who are playing – and I understand that the players who are playing – are playing very well."
