Harry Maguire a man renewed for England but redemption still awaits at FIFA World Cup

It has been that way for some time now for poor Maguire: the butt of the joke, the meme, the gif, the punchline, the Twitter punch bag. In the Khalifa Stadium, Iran fans gleefully brought their own mockery. “It’s Not Coming Home Because Of Harry Maguire,” one banner declared. “Harry Maguire: Your Defence Is Terrifying.” Someone had gone to the trouble of printing out those jibes on big sheets.

Perhaps no footballer has faced greater derision – indeed, a study found that only Cristiano Ronaldo had been abused as much on social media in recent times – so when Maguire took to the pitch for England’s opening match in Qatar, there was bound to be some fascination about whether he would suffer afresh or have the last laugh. The answer was, like everything in Maguire’s life in this past year or two, a little complicated.

Perhaps we should start by saying that it was pretty remarkable that Maguire was out there playing in the World Cup finals, representing his country – an embodiment of his manager’s faith and perhaps his own resilience given all the crises of confidence he has endured.

A redemption story? It is too soon to say, but wouldn’t that be a lovely thing? Sport is about winning and glory, but it is also a transfixing human story, and nothing stirs the soul quite like a comeback.

There is much for Maguire to recover to be the popular hero he was in Russia 2018 – or to be named in the team of this tournament, as he was at Euro 2020 only 18 months ago, remember – but he was out there on the biggest stage, heavily involved for 70 minutes and, for almost all of them, looking like a man who grows into the England shirt and relishes a tournament.

In much of Maguire’s play, we saw why Gareth Southgate regards the 29-year-old as a stalwart; a threatening presence up front and comfortable taking the ball and using it from the back.

It all seemed to be going so well, but, just as we were imagining a clean sheet as part of a thumping victory over Iran, we also saw why we must withhold some judgment until far tougher tests.

Just as England were cruising, Maguire was rolled by Mehdi Taremi, who ran behind the England defender and stuck the ball high past Jordan Pickford. He will not be thrilled watching it back – and he may need to, given what subsequently emerged.

Maguire soon slumped to the ground. Concussion? Not so, but he had suffered from double vision. “Harry felt ill,” Southgate confirmed afterwards. “He had flagged it just before the goal.”

How much had illness contributed to that one lapse? There will be plenty out there who do not want to give him the benefit of any doubt, but Southgate will certainly be anxious that his defender quickly recovers.

As England coach, he wants Maguire the footballer but also the strength of character that he loves – not only in the defender but in another stalwart, Raheem Sterling, who also set aside his fitful club form to demonstrate how he can save his best for the national team.

Maguire is certainly not one to hide. He was in the thick of the action, frequently in attack. It was easy to see why Erik ten Hag sent the defender up front for 13 minutes against Real Sociedad in the Europa League to cause havoc.

Yesterday (Monday) Maguire hit the side-netting with one effort at the far post and then the crossbar with a header from a corner. England should also have had a penalty when the Iran defender Rouzbeh Cheshmi rugby-tackled him to the ground.

The redemptive, restorative goal did not come, but he played a key part in two goals, passing crisply and vertically forward to set in motion England’s opener, scored by Jude Bellingham, and nodding down to assist Bukayo Saka for the second. Few defenders in the world are as dangerous as set pieces.

Perhaps it is expecting too much for the love affair with England fans to be fully rekindled because, as James Gheerbrant wrote in an excellent piece this year, while Maguire’s form has wobbled it is perceptions that have transformed, perhaps irreversibly for some.

From being a fan favourite at the 2018 World Cup, loved as “Slabhead”, and the grounded footballer who was on the England terraces as recently as Euro 2016, he has somehow lost his everyman status.

Perhaps it was the pounds 78.3 million fee when he joined Manchester United from Leicester City, the pounds 190,000-a-week wages, the fracas in Mykonos (he is appealing against a suspended jail sentence) and representing a big, polarising club.

Dragged down by the problems at United – and still struggling to make his way back under Ten Hag – Maguire has been ridiculed far beyond his on-pitch struggles, but Southgate never lost his faith.

Selecting Maguire was always going to be a bold, almost daring choice, but Southgate sees beyond the daft over-reaction to every error; he remembers a man who has withstood immense pressure, including the Euro final penalty shootout against Italy, when he scored England’s second spot kick.

The manager knows that Maguire is not the quickest or most elegant, but he has been integral to England’s long runs at the past two tournaments, and may be key to this one too.

His next cap will be his 50th, having made his debut aged 24 under Southgate, and you can be sure that, illness permitting, the England manager will want him in his team.

Originally published as Harry Maguire a man renewed for England but redemption still awaits at FIFA World Cup