Jacob Harry Maguire (born 5 March 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.
Maguire came through the youth system at Sheffield United before graduating to the first team in 2011. He made 166 appearances for United and was the club's Player of the Year three seasons in succession, also featuring in the PFA Team of the Year for League One as many times. In 2014, he transferred to Hull City for £2.5 million, before being loaned to Wigan Athletic in 2015. He joined Leicester City in 2017 for an initial fee of £12 million and in the 2017–18 season he played in every minute and was named Player of the season. Maguire moved to Manchester United in 2019 for a fee believed to be £80 million, a world-record amount for a defender, and within six months was appointed club captain.
Maguire played one match for the England national under-21 team in 2012. In 2017, he made his senior debut and he was chosen for the England's squads for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and UEFA Euro 2020, earning a place in the Team of the Tournament in the latter.
Early life
Maguire was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire[5] and was raised in the nearby village of Mosborough.[6] His brothers, Joe and Laurence, are also footballers.[7] He attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary School in Spinkhill[8] and St Mary's Roman Catholic High School in Chesterfield.[9] From 7 to 16 years old, Maguire played as central midfielder for Sheffield United's academy.[10]
Club career
Sheffield United
2011–2012
After coming through the youth system at Sheffield United, and with the team struggling against relegation, Maguire was promoted to the first-team squad, making his debut after coming on as a half-time substitute and winning the man of the match award in a home match against Cardiff City in April 2011.[11] He made four further appearances that season but could not prevent the club from being relegated to League One.[12][13]
Having cemented his place in the first team, Maguire scored his first goal for United in a 2–0 win away Oldham Athletic on the opening day of the 2011–12 League One season.[14] Having been ever present from the start of the season Maguire was handed an extended deal in October to keep him at Bramall Lane until 2015.[15] He continued in great form as United pushed for promotion from League One and was rewarded at the end of the season when he was named as both "Player of the Year" and "Young Player of the Year" by the club.[16] The BBC's Match of the Day magazine selected Maguire in its League One Team of The Year for 2011–12.[16]
2012–2014
Maguire went into the following season as first choice in the centre of defence and his good form continued as he scored twice on 17 October 2012 in a 4–1 away victory over Notts County in the Football League Trophy.[17] By the end of February 2013, Maguire had made his 100th start for United in a 0–0 home draw against Leyton Orient at the age of just 19.[18]
On 21 June 2014, it was revealed that United had offered Maguire an improved contract amid interest from Hull City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with United already rejecting a £1 million and an improved £1.5 million bid from Wolves.[19]
Hull City
2014–2016
On 29 July 2014, Maguire joined Hull City in a deal worth £2.5 million, signing a three-year contract.[20] He made his debut for the Tigers on 21 August in the UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg away to Lokeren of Belgium, a 1–0 defeat.[21] He did not make his Premier League debut until 20 December, when he replaced the injured Curtis Davies for the final 13 minutes of a home loss by the same score against Swansea City.[22]
After making only six appearances across all competitions at Hull, Maguire joined Wigan Athletic of the Championship on a one-month loan deal on 10 February 2015.[23] A week later, he debuted in a 1–0 win at Reading.[24] On 28 February, he scored a header from Jermaine Pennant's cross in a 3–1 win away to Blackpool.[25] Having played as many games in his month-long loan as he had for Hull in the first half of the season, Maguire's stay at the DW Stadium was extended until the end of the season.[26]
2016–2017
While Maguire was out on loan, Hull had been relegated to the Championship. On 28 May 2016, they won promotion back with a 1–0 play-off final win over Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley Stadium, with him replacing goalscorer Mohamed Diamé in the final minute.[27]
In the 2016–17 season, Maguire established himself as a first-team regular under manager Mike Phelan.[28] Maguire scored his first goal for Hull on 25 October 2016 in a 2–1 away win against Bristol City in the EFL Cup.[29] Maguire captained Hull in their league victory against Middlesbrough on 5 April 2017 and scored his first Premier League goal in the 4–2 win.[30] In a season that ended with relegation, he was voted Hull's Player of the Year by both the fans and the players.[31]
Leicester City
On 15 June 2017, Maguire signed for Premier League club Leicester City on a five-year contract for an initial £12 million fee, potentially rising to £17 million with add-ons.[32] He made his debut on 11 August as the season began with a 4–3 loss at Arsenal,[33] and eight days later he scored his first goal for the Foxes, heading in Riyad Mahrez's corner to conclude a 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the King Power Stadium.[34] He played in every minute of the 2017–18 season and was awarded player of the season, as well as players' player of the season at the club's end of season awards.[35]
Amid speculation about a transfer to Manchester United for a potential world-record fee for a defender, Maguire's Leicester manager Claude Puel confirmed on transfer deadline day of 9 August 2018 that Maguire would stay at the club, his only travel to Manchester being to face United with the Leicester squad in the fixture the evening after.[36]
Manchester United
2019–20 season
In July 2019, Manchester United made a £70 million bid for Maguire, a year after the club backed down from a deal because the same fee was considered too high.[37] They made an improved bid, believed to be £80 million, which was accepted by Leicester on 2 August. The fee surpassed the £75 million Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, making Maguire the world's most expensive defender.[38] The transfer was completed on 5 August, with Maguire signing a six-year contract with the option of a further year.[39] He made his United debut in their opening match of the Premier League season, a 4–0 home victory over Chelsea on 11 August, and received the Man of the Match award.[40]
On 17 January 2020, he was named as club captain by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær following Ashley Young's departure to Inter Milan.[41] Nine days later, he opened up a 6–0 FA Cup win against Tranmere Rovers by scoring his first goal for United.[42] He scored his first Premier League goal for United on 17 February against Chelsea in a 2–0 away win.[43] On 27 June, after the 3-month delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, United's FA Cup run resumed with a quarter-final tie against Norwich City which finished 2–1, Maguire scoring the winning goal deep into extra time.[44] Maguire played a significant part in United's successful 2019–20 Premier League campaign, which saw them finish in third place, their second-highest league finish since the retirement of Alex Ferguson. Maguire played in every minute of United's 38 game league campaign, becoming the first outfield player to do so for the club since 1995.[45]
2020–present
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On 17 October 2020, Maguire scored his first goal of the season, equalising in the 23rd minute in a league match against Newcastle United that eventually ended in a 4–1 away win.[46] On 27 January 2021, he equalised in the 64th minute even though the match ended in a 2–1 home loss against his former club Sheffield United, which ended a 13-match unbeaten run since the team lost to Arsenal on 1 November 2020.[47] When several teammates received racist threats following the loss, Maguire joined other past and present United players condemning the abuse.[48] He played the full 90 minutes on 2 February in United's Premier League record-equalling 9–0 home win against Southampton.[49]
On 25 April, he equalled Gary Pallister's club record for playing the most number of league games without being substituted, by playing the full 90 minutes for the 71st consecutive Premier League game, in a scoreless draw against Leeds United. However, he couldn't break the record, as he had to be substituted in the 72nd minute of the subsequent game on 9 May, a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa, owing to an ankle injury.[50] On 26 May, Maguire missed the 2021 Europa League final against Villarreal due to injury, in which United lost on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[51]
Despite winning approximately twice as many duels as he lost in the 2020–21 season,[52] Maguire admitted enduring a "tough" time in which Manchester United finished sixth with their lowest points tally since the formation of the Premier League. Maguire also came under intense criticism for his performances as many believed he had failed to show consistency.[53]
International career
Youth
Maguire qualified to play for England, as well as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through his grandparents [54] He was called up to the England national under-21 team for the first time in November 2012 for a friendly against Northern Ireland.[55] Danny Wilson stated "He has got a fantastic maturity for his age, he takes everything in his stride and nothing fazes him. I don't expect this call-up to either because he is such a level headed character."[56] Maguire duly made his England under-21 debut as a substitute in the 60th minute, coming on for Liverpool's Andre Wisdom in a 2–0 win against Northern Ireland Under-21s at Bloomfield Road.[57]