They say having the backing of your teammates is the most important thing as a football player.
While it's not certain that Harry Maguire has that right now at Manchester United, he's got just about the next best thing: Sir Alex Ferguson 's. During a season that was described as a "nightmare" by the club's own chief executive, Maguire embarked on his biggest battle since becoming captain two-and-a-half years ago, as dressing room harmony eroded away and quickly became a "disaster."
While his leadership was coming under scrutiny from within the camp, so was his form, as the 29-year-old endured what many would label the worst campaign of his 11-year professional career. Despite the events of the past term, new manager Erik ten Hag is excited to work with him and the Red Devils have even rejected a stunning proposal from none other than European heavyweights Barcelona, who'd offered take him off their hands during the tedious transfer negotiations to send Frenkie de Jong the other way.
United - like Maguire - are in post-season recovery mode after tallying their worst-ever points return in the Premier League era and seem keen to usher in a mass exodus this summer. However, an exit for Maguire is clearly off the table, hinting at how Ferguson's verdict is still held in high regard by the Old Trafford hierarchy.
It was right back at the start of the burly defender's days as a senior pro, 11 years ago, when Ferguson first became acquainted with him. During the second leg of the Red Devils' FA Youth Cup final clash with Maguire's Sheffield United, the teenage centre-back suffered a concussion which kept him in hospital overnight, as United's youth stars - including Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard - celebrated their epic 6-3 aggregate win.
There, a dejected Maguire picked up his phone to a surprise call from Ferguson himself. During their conversation, it's claimed that the legendary boss told the youngster that he had what it takes to make it to the top, while also checking on his condition. Classy as ever from Ferguson, they'd get to know each other a lot more in the years to come.
As Maguire shone during a spell with Hull City and moved on to Leicester, his incredible 2018 World Cup campaign put him on the map as one of the world's most coveted centre-backs. Throughout the next term, the Red Devils were constantly linked with signing him and eventually stumped up £80 million after a fight with the Foxes, who pocketed a world-record fee for a defender.
United undeniably needed a centre-back, but Ferguson's personal insistence that the deal went through no-doubt progressed the transfer and stopped bitter rivals Manchester City from swooping in, as manager Pep Guardiola would later admit that his cash-rich club could - somewhat bizarrely - not afford Maguire in the summer of 2019.
The Scot was asked about the battle to sign him at the time, and according to the Manchester Evening News, told a confidant in typically forthright fashion: "They should take the lad in the boardroom and not let him out until he's signed!"
When the deal was finally done, newly-appointed boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was gifted Maguire. Within his first six months in Manchester, he was handed the famous armband by the Norwegian, having taken advice from legendary ex-skipper Bryan Robson, Captain Marvel himself. But Ferguson's voice still weighed heavily on Maguire, as after his second and best term in a red shirt, he revealed that one simple word from the iconic coach goes down as the best piece of advice he's ever been given.
In a conversation with Red Devils hero Gary Neville on his Overlap YouTube channel, Maguire explained: "I seen him a couple of weeks ago and I was with Luke Shaw and we were speaking to him about it and he was asking Luke about how well he's progressed this season and he said the main thing what's progressed for you is concentration.
"Then, as he was leaving, he left he said bye and then he turned round and went to me and Luke, 'concentration' and walked off," he added before noting: "I think that's going to live with me forever now."
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It's not only in a football sense that Ferguson has played a positive part in Maguire's life, though, as during his wedding in France just a few days ago, there was a special video from none other than United's greatest ever gaffer. Along with a message from Robson, the Sun report, Ferguson wished Maguire a lifetime of happiness with his new wife, Fern Hawkins.
Currently on his honeymoon on the south coast of Italy, the England international will return home to a mountainous task: to prove himself under Ten Hag, bring the dressing together back together and get the fans behind him - possibly toughest of all, having been booed by them just three months ago. It won't be easy, but one man - still looming above all at Old Trafford - firmly believes in him.
