Harry Maguire believes that Jose Mourinho brought an “excellent player” to Old Trafford before he arrived. Mourinho, who previously managed Chelsea and Real Madrid, took over from Louis van Gaal in 2016 and spent three seasons with the Red Devils.
Harry Maguire believes that Jose Mourinho brought an “excellent player” to Old Trafford before he arrived.
Mourinho, who previously managed Chelsea and Real Madrid, took over from Louis van Gaal in 2016 and spent three seasons with the Red Devils.
During his time at Manchester United, Mourinho’s first season saw the club win both the Europa League and League Cup. The following season, they finished second in the Premier League under his guidance.
Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford came to an end after poor results early in the 2018-19 campaign. He was sacked in December 2018 with United sitting sixth in the table, having won just seven of their opening 17 league matches.
Harry Maguire holds Victor Lindelof in high regard following Jose Mourinho’s decision to sign the ex-Man Utd player
Harry Maguire signed with Manchester United in the aftermath of Jose Mourinho’s time at the club, joining under then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The 32-year-old made his move from Leicester City in 2019 and soon linked up with Victor Lindelof, who had been at United since 2017.
Lindelof had arrived two years earlier during Mourinho’s second season, joining from Benfica in a £31m deal.
Speaking to Manchester United’s official website, Maguire said: “I think Victor was an excellent player.
“I believe he didn’t get the credit he deserved when he was playing at this club, although he obviously played so many games and he always played under [the] manager.
“But he was an excellent player and we had an amazing relationship on the pitch.”
Harry Maguire reflects on Victor Lindelof’s influence at Manchester United
After moving to Old Trafford, Victor Lindelof made 284 appearances for Manchester United, scoring four goals and providing seven assists during his time with the club.
Maguire spoke about the impact the Swedish defender had during their early years together, a period that’s often overlooked by fans.
“The first two years, I think, if I’m right, we kept the most clean sheets in Europe in the first year, and maybe second or third in the second season,” he added.
“We kept loads of clean sheets, we defended properly, we defended well. So, I’ve probably played the most games with Victor, and I believe our relationship on the pitch was as strong as I’ve had with anybody.”
Lindelof left Manchester United at the end of the 2024-25 season after his contract expired. The Sweden captain then signed with Aston Villa on a free transfer last September.
Category: General Sports
