Harry Maguire talks to CNN about scoring the goal of a lifetime in the ‘craziest’ game of his career
By Patrick Snell, CNN
(CNN) — Harry Maguire has experienced the highs and lows of being a Manchester United star in recent seasons but don’t ever doubt his unshakeable self-belief.
It’s certainly been a roller-coaster of emotions of late for the Red Devils center-back who became the most expensive defender in the world when he joined United from Leicester City in 2019.
Earlier this month, Maguire – playing as a makeshift striker – scored a sensational winner in the final seconds of extra-time as his team completed one of the great European comebacks to beat Olympique Lyon 7-6 on aggregate to reach the semifinals of the Europa League where they next face Athletic Bilbao.
“Well, I think it’s the craziest game I’ve ever played in, to be honest, and in terms of goal, yeah, it’s probably my favorite and best goal in club football,” Maguire told CNN Sports.
“I’ve obviously scored a few in a World Cup quarterfinal and a Euros quarterfinal as well. So they all come close, but it’s one that I’ll never ever forget. And the emotion of the game, I think that’s what makes the goal so big. The way that we came back in extra-time was something that I’m sure I’ll remember forever, but many, many others will remember as well.”
Disappointing season
Despite the home side’s euphoria on that epic night in the Theater of Dreams, it’s been another season of substantial underachievement for the English giant in the Premier League, a competition they’ve won a record 13 times. So much so that the team’s only hope of playing in next season’s Champions League is to win the Europa League this campaign – though the two-legged tie with the La Liga side will be challenging to say the least.
“Of course, this club wants to win trophies, and it demands winning trophies. So, to win the Europa League would be really big for us as players, staff, everybody here. I’m sure it would give us a great boost, but listen, we’re only in the semifinal,” Maguire told CNN.
“We beat Lyon in the quarterfinal, we now go and play Bilbao, who probably people are saying are the favorites for the tournament. So, it’s going be a tough, tough game but one that we’re looking forward to and one that we’ll play and do everything we can to progress to the final.”
United – who is now led by Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim – is on course for its worst finish in the Premier League era and to further rub salt into the wound, fierce rival Liverpool has just drawn level with United on a record 20 top-flight league titles.
Maguire admits his team has endured a really difficult year: “It’s been really disappointing. We can’t hide away from that. We’ve been far too inconsistent, and we’ve let the season fall away from us.
“It’s left us in a position where obviously we can’t go anywhere in the Premier League now and we’re just playing more for pride and league position rather than European places which we know as players, that’s just nowhere near good enough for Manchester United.”
United has enjoyed League Cup and FA Cup successes during Maguire’s time at the club, but there have been difficult moments too for the England international. He was club captain under Ole Gunnar Solskjær only to then lose the captaincy under the Norwegian’s successor Erik ten Hag in 2023. At the time, Maguire expressed his extreme disappointment at the decision.
There’ve also been injuries – most notably missing out on Euro 2024 – as well as periodic losses of form, yet through it all, the defender’s trademark resilience and strength of character remained intact; the perfect remedy to silence the critics.
“Just hard work. It comes down to every day coming into training and doing everything you can to improve. And if you give everything, I always say that it doesn’t matter what you go through, if you’re giving absolutely everything on the pitch and off the pitch, you can’t do anything else,” Maguire concedes.
“It’s just about working hard and giving everything and also having great belief in myself that I can do that and obviously turn around that difficult season which I had.”
The 32-year-old admits to CNN that he and his teammates have been hurt by poor results but those same setbacks also serve to motivate the squad moving forward.
“It gives us that hunger and that fight to make sure next season we come back, and we start a lot better, and we show a lot more, which I’m sure we will do. I think there’s been so many games where we’ve been on the wrong end of a fifty-fifty game where we probably look like the ones that we’re going to win and we’re ending up losing it,” he says.
“I’m sure next year we’re going to improve. We’re going to find the difference in those games, and we’re going to make sure we perform a lot better and to a more consistent basis.”
Preseason plans
With that improvement in mind, United already knows where part of its preseason preparations will take them ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Red Devils will travel to the US to compete in the Premier League Summer Series.
Along with AFC Bournemouth, Everton and West Ham United, Maguire and his teammates will play double-headers at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – the stadium that will host next year’s World Cup final – Soldier Field in Chicago and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta from July 26 to August 3 with tickets currently available at each venue.
“Yeah, really excited. I think obviously this is our third year on the spin in America and it’s always been a great tour. The fans over there are amazing. The facilities are great. The stadiums are fantastic. The players were excited when we heard that we’re coming back to America. They were all really pleased,” Maguire reveals.
“To be playing three Premier League teams over there, you know, it’s going to be really competitive games, in really good atmospheres, in great stadiums. We’re really looking forward to it.”
This is the second Premier League Summer Series to take place in the United States. Two years ago, more than 265,000 fans watched teams from the English top-flight take part in the first ever tournament won by Chelsea. And it’s those US-based United fans Maguire says he’s really looking forward to connecting with this time around.
“I think it’s really important for any player who plays for this club to realize how big we are worldwide and how passionate the fans are in different countries. It’s such an iconic club to play for, and it has the best fans in the world, all over the world, and it’s so nice to go over there and see the passion and the love that they have for the game and for the club, and, yeah, it’s nice to go over there and put smiles on people’s faces.”
This year’s three Premier League Summer Series venues are also home to a combined four NFL franchises – the New York Giants and Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears – something that would certainly be music to the ears of Maguire’s England international teammate Harry Kane, who happens to be a big fan of the New England Patriots.
“I’m not as big as him. I know he’s a massive fan,” Maguire tells CNN. “I obviously watch the Super Bowl and things, but I don’t follow the teams. I like the sport, but I’m nowhere near as big a fan as Harry. He loves it!”
The-CNN-Wire
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