Ex-footballer turned professional coach Stuart Pearce has come out in passionate defence of Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, insisting that the Premier League clubs should be jumping at the chance to sign the England international.
It’s safe to say that Harry Maguire‘s time at Man United hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing since he joined the club for a world-record fee back in 2019 and now having dropped out of the first-team squad over the past season or so, he has been left somewhat in limbo under Erik ten Hag.
However, with the 30-year-old’s future now more uncertain than ever after being stripped of the captaincy last month, Pearce seems to think that other teams in the English top flight should be racing to give Maguire a new home, stating: “If I was a Premier League manager, I would be doing everything I can to bring Harry Maguire to my football club.
In fact, his praise of the six-foot-four centre-back has been the case for some time, aligning with the likes of Luke Shaw in the belief that he receives a disproportionate amount of criticism. Here he is talking about it Maguire’s importance in the England squad back in November:
🏴 “Maguire has become crucial!”
🤨 “But the footballing public are still desperate to have a dig at him.”
👀 “Without him against the USA, I don’t think we would have kept a clean sheet!”
Stuart Pearce believes Harry Maguire is ‘crucial’ for England and still has plenty to give at club level.
Speaking with Sportsbeat (via the Mirror), the 61-year-old said, “For what he stands for as a player — his age, experience, he’s comfortable on the ball and [is] capable of goals in the opposite box – I can’t see any negatives.
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“For me, I would do my level best to get him out of United if I was a manager at another team. It tells you a lot when ten Hag isn’t saying, ‘I want Harry Maguire moved on’. That tells you that his attitude in training is spot on.”
The Dutchman himself has reportedly told Maguire that he “doesn’t want him to leave”, according to Sam Matterface on talkSPORT, and could certainly do the with the cover in the event either one of his first-choice centre-backs gets injured again. This is a role Pearce also believes Maguire has already accepted.
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“[ten Hag] sees his worth”, said the former Manchester City defender and manager; “he doesn’t see him as a first-team starter but whenever you need a game seeing out, he puts Maguire in the heart of defence to make sure they keep the ball out the net.”
“When he comes off the bench in the 85th minute, he gets straight into the game”, continued Pearce. “He does the job the manager wants him to do and that says a lot about his character.”
He concluded by saying, “Knowing Harry, if he stays at United, he’ll do everything he can to make life uncomfortable for ten Hag with his performances to get back into the team.”
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Despite a fair bit of fuss being made after a bit of a heated exchange with new keeper, André Onana, there are some fans who feel Man United’s number five has shown plenty of positive signs in pre-season, but whether or not he’ll be staying in Manchester is anyone’s guess.
Would you keep Harry Maguire at the club or is it time for him to depart from Old Trafford and take on a new challenge?
If you don’t rate Harry Maguire highly then you need to reassess how you view the sport.
He’s special on the ball whilst also being elite aerially & a leader. His only faults are a lack of speed + he can’t receive with his back to goal like ten Hag wants.https://t.co/EzICPP3jFb
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
Sport
Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Danny Jones -
4th August 2023 
