# Harry Maguire
**Harry Maguire** (Jacob Harry Maguire, born 1993 in [Sheffield](https://www.edgepedia.org/sheffield), England) is an English professional footballer who plays as a center-back for Manchester United and has earned 66 caps and 7 goals for the England national team since his debut in October 2017[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire). He became the most expensive defender in football history when Manchester United signed him from Leicester City for a reported £80 million in August 2019, and he captained the club from January 2020 until 2023[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/) • [3](https://www.footylogos.com/careers/harry-maguire).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993, Sheffield, England; height 6ft 4in (194cm); preferred foot right[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire) |
| England record | Debut 7 October 2017 against Lithuania; 66 senior caps, 7 senior goals; legacy number 1223[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire) |
| Record transfer | Joined Manchester United from Leicester City in August 2019 for a reported £80 million, a six-year contract and a world record fee for a defender[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/) |
| Club captain | Appointed United captain in January 2020; a virtual ever-present for two seasons under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer[3](https://www.footylogos.com/careers/harry-maguire) • [4](https://www.manutd.com/en/teams/mens-team/harry-maguire) |
| Honors | Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup winner with Manchester United; 266 club appearances by April 2026[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united) |
| England tournaments | Semi-final at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, final of the UEFA Nations League and EURO 2020[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire) |
| Current contract | One-year extension signed April 2026, running to June 2027 with an option for a further year[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united) |
## Early career
Maguire came through grassroots football with Brunsmeer Athletic in Sheffield before joining Barnsley's academy, and he moved to Sheffield United in 2009[6](https://www.transfermarkt.us/harry-maguire/transfers/spieler/177907/transfer_id/1794177). A boyhood supporter of the club, he reached the Sheffield United first team as a teenager in League One, and his contract was extended to June 2015 in October 2011[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/).
He joined Hull City in July 2014 on a three-year contract for a fee of £2.5 million, made his Premier League breakthrough that season, and spent part of 2014 on loan at Wigan Athletic, where he made 16 appearances and scored once[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/) • [7](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=58712&season_id=148) • [8](https://derbydatahub.com/player/harry-maguire-2935). Back at Hull he captained the Tigers to promotion and established himself in the Premier League[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire).
## Leicester City and England breakthrough
Leicester City signed Maguire from Hull in June 2017 for £17 million on a five-year contract, later extended to June 2023[9](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/102667/harry-maguire) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/). He made 69 Premier League appearances across two seasons for [Leicester](https://www.edgepedia.org/leicester)[10](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1300365).
His form earned a first senior England call-up in late 2017. After a single appearance for England MU21s against [Northern Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-ireland) in 2012, his senior debut came in the final World Cup 2018 qualifier against [Lithuania](https://www.edgepedia.org/lithuania) on 7 October 2017[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire). Manager [Gareth Southgate](https://www.edgepedia.org/gareth-southgate) took him to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was a major figure in England's run to the semi-final, and his crashing header opened the scoring against Sweden in the quarter-final[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire). He also starred in England's run to the 2019 UEFA Nations League final[10](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1300365).
## Manchester United
**Record move and captaincy.** Manchester United completed the transfer on 5 August 2019, with Maguire signing a six-year contract with an option for a further year for an undisclosed fee that was a club-record sale for Leicester; reported figures of £80 million made it a world record for a defender[10](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1300365) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/). He debuted on 11 August 2019 against Chelsea and was soon made club captain, becoming a virtual ever-present for two seasons under Solskjaer[4](https://www.manutd.com/en/teams/mens-team/harry-maguire). He remained central to England as they reached the final of the [UEFA Nations League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-nations-league) and EURO 2020[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire).
**Playing style.** Analysts and managers have consistently identified Maguire's strengths as aerial dominance and defending in close-quarter duels, calmness, and an unusual ability on the ball for a center-back, including progressive carrying out of defense; one analysis ranked him third among Premier League center-backs in progressive carries[11](https://qualityreportfootball.com/blogs/premiere-league-analyse/harry-maguire-vs-premier-league-defenders-a-statistical-analysis-of-his-performance-at-manchester-united). His recurring weakness, widely discussed in coverage of England's 2023 match against Ukraine, is a lack of mobility and foot-speed, which critics argue constrains a team's defensive line and build-up tempo[12](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/10/harry-maguire-england-ukraine-gareth-southgate-football).
**Loss of the captaincy and recovery.** [Erik ten Hag](https://www.edgepedia.org/erik-ten-hag) stripped Maguire of the captaincy in 2023, and West Ham United agreed a deal with United to sign him; Maguire chose to stay and fight for his place[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united). After difficult spells under ten Hag and his successor Ruben Amorim, his form recovered under interim manager [Michael Carrick](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-carrick), under whom he adapted well to a back three, starting all ten of United's matches at one stage[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united) • [13](https://theanalyst.com/articles/harry-maguire-man-utd-stats-redemption). In April 2026 he signed a one-year contract extension to June 2027 with an option for a further year, describing representing United as his "ultimate honor"; by then he had made 266 appearances and won both the Carabao Cup and [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup)[5](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united). His threat in the opposition penalty area has produced notable goals, including a headed winner in a 5-4 comeback victory over Lyon in April 2025 and a goal at Anfield the following October[4](https://www.manutd.com/en/teams/mens-team/harry-maguire).
## England career under Southgate and Tuchel
Maguire accumulated 66 senior caps and 7 goals[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire). During the Southgate years he was behind only [Kyle Walker](https://www.edgepedia.org/kyle-walker) among center-backs in minutes played for England and kept the most clean sheets of any center-back under Southgate, even as his club form drew criticism; in late 2022 BBC analysis noted he had the worst minutes-to-goal-conceded ratio among English center-backs in club football that season, at one conceded every 40.1 minutes for United[14](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62877990).
Under [Thomas Tuchel](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-tuchel) he was dropped, recalled to the squad in March 2026 after an 18-month England absence for United players[15](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/oficial-el-united-renueva-a-maguire-f202604-n/), and then left out of England's squad for the 2026 World Cup, an exclusion he confirmed himself in May 2026[16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuX_2pRXW7c).
## Workload record
Maguire has also been a case study in player workload. A FIFPRO report on match congestion recorded that he experienced the most excessive workload of consecutive back-to-back matches of any player featured on the FIFPRO PWM platform, a finding the report used in discussing sustainable competition calendars and maximum matches per season[17](https://www.huns.hr/upload/Workload_PDF.pdf).
## References
1. [Harry Maguire player profile, England Football](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/harry-maguire)
2. [Harry Maguire Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/harry-maguire-237243/)
3. [Harry Maguire: clubs and career timeline, FootyLogos](https://www.footylogos.com/careers/harry-maguire)
4. [Harry Maguire – Men's Team, Manchester United](https://www.manutd.com/en/teams/mens-team/harry-maguire)
5. [Harry Maguire pens new deal at Manchester United, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/harry-maguire-pens-new-deal-at-manchester-united)
6. [Harry Maguire – Transfer history, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/harry-maguire/transfers/spieler/177907/transfer_id/1794177)
7. [Harry Maguire Football Stats, Soccerbase](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=58712&season_id=148)
8. [Jacob Harry Maguire – Stats, Goals & Career, Derby Data Hub](https://derbydatahub.com/player/harry-maguire-2935)
9. [Harry Maguire – Player Profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/102667/harry-maguire)
10. [Maguire completes move to Man Utd, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1300365)
11. [Harry Maguire vs Premier League defenders: a statistical analysis, Quality Report Football](https://qualityreportfootball.com/blogs/premiere-league-analyse/harry-maguire-vs-premier-league-defenders-a-statistical-analysis-of-his-performance-at-manchester-united)
12. [Pre-modern defender Harry Maguire's lack of mobility holding England back, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/10/harry-maguire-england-ukraine-gareth-southgate-football)
13. ['Perfect' for a back three: Harry Maguire's best days at Man Utd could be ahead of him, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/harry-maguire-man-utd-stats-redemption)
14. [England v Italy: Gareth Southgate's squad dilemmas in statistics, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62877990)
15. [Oficial: el United renueva a Maguire, AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/oficial-el-united-renueva-a-maguire-f202604-n/)
16. [Harry Maguire not included in England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Sky Sports News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuX_2pRXW7c)
17. [Harry Maguire workload case study, FIFPRO PWM platform / Football Benchmark analysis](https://www.huns.hr/upload/Workload_PDF.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Defenders › Center-backs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license