Harry Redknapp has raved about one Manchester United player who Erik ten Hag nearly sold this summer.
This season for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United has been a difficult one with the mounting injury issues at the club meaning the Dutchman couldn’t field a consistent 11 and the form of the side dipped.
The injury crisis in the defence has been the biggest issue for Ten Hag with two of his key man from the 2022/23 season in Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw missing the majority of the campaign through injury with multiple players having to deputise at left-back.
At centre-back, the club has struggled but Harry Maguire has emerged from a horrendous season for the club with some well-deserved praise.
Redknapp on Maguire
Speaking on talkSPORT, Harry Redknapp has spoken about the United centre-back and described the Englishman as a leader.
“I was sorry to see Harry Maguire miss out,” Redknapp said when discussing who missed the cut for Euro 2024.
“He has got an injury. I personally think he’s a big loss, I really do. On set plays in both boxes, he’s fantastic. He attacks every corner that we get and looks like he might score or cause havoc. And he’s a leader. I think he’s a big miss to us.”
Maguire proved himself under Ten Hag without Martinez and Raphael Varane with Northern Irish defender Jonny Evans oftentimes playing alongside him.
United nearly sold Maguire
Ironically, the English defender looked to be on his way out of Old Trafford with Ten Hag preferring Martinez and Varane.
West Ham looked to be Maguire’s destination last summer but a deal never materialised and this may well have been a blessing in disguise because who knows where the Red Devils would have been without the Englishman.
Missing Maguire will be a big blow for Gareth Southgate who will have to negotiate a potential banana skin group without one of his most important players and a big leader in the group.
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