Manchester United captain Harry Maguire had some international break to remember.
He more than anyone would’ve welcomed the fortnight away from Old Trafford to focus solely on England duties.
A dismal time with the Red Devils was soon doused by two goals during his country’s empathic pair of World Cup qualifying wins.
Maguire headed home England’s first of five at Wembley against Andorra last Friday.
He repeated the same trick last night to kick start the Three Lions’ 10-0 wipe-out of San Marino.
Happy as Harry
Thanks to his successive cranium strikes, the 28-year-old become the highest-scoring male defender in English history.
United’s on-field leader moved above John Terry and Jack Charlton (both on six) to reach the historic honour.
“Congratulations mate. England’s highest-scoring defender,” said Terry in a Twitter post after his previous title was taken.
“Let’s see if a few of the pundits talk about that,” continued the Chelsea legend, in reference to Roy Keane’s recent words of war.
No rest for the wicked
As much as Maguire should savour the moment, he cannot afford to rest on his laurels.
The task ahead waiting for him back in Manchester is viewed by many as mission impossible.
Not only to get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troop reorganised, but to reenergise his own season that’s been threatening to derail for a while.
Domestically, the England international has performed well below average for most of the campaign.
Following on from the calf injury he suffered last month, Maguire and United’s issues have continued to pile up.
Solskjaer’s side have won just twice since the skipper returned to action, conceding 15 times in the process.
If the centre-half can harness the joy of overtaking Terry and co. in the all-time list, perhaps he can rediscover the spark that’s fizzled out lately.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
