Harry Maguire: Details of Defender's Preferred Position Emerge Before Becoming World's Most Expensive Defender

• Harry Maguire reportedly wanted to play as a mifielder in the early stages of his career
• This was long before he became the most expensive defender in 2019 when Manchester United signed him for £80 million
• Maguire was recently benched for Manchester United’s first win of the 2022/23 season

Harry Maguire is one of the most sought after players in the Premier League when it comes to banter, but it was not always that way.

The 29-year-old former Hull City and Sheffield United defender has undergone arguably some of the worst trolling online since his move to Manchester United in 2019, and there seems to be no end in sight for his woes.

Most of the criticism that is directed his way is usually because of his errors in defense, but it is interesting to note that Maguire did not always want to be a centre-back.

REVEALED! The top 20 dirtiest NBA players of all time

NBA

This is according to Sheffield United academy manager John Pemberton, who revealed in 2019 that Maguire in fact, wanted to play in central midfield.

As reported on The Mirror, Pemberton spoke with The Athletic where he opened up about the towering defender’s time at Bramall Lane.

The academy manager helped develop Maguire, who was playing in central midfield when he first met him.

"Harry was playing centre midfield when I first met him," Pemberton said. "The problem for me was I just didn’t see his future there. He was a centre-half to me.

"I remember sitting him down in my office. We had quite a few chats over the years, mainly because he liked asking questions about the game. Anyway, this time I ended up asking him, ‘Where do you see yourself in three years’ time?’ He said the first team but I pushed him on a position. He thought centre midfield but I said, ‘No’."

Ranking the 15 ugliest football players in the world

Football

According to Pemberton, he did not see a future for Maguire in that position as he did not show the potential to elevate to the level of legends such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.

He thus convinced the Englishman to resort back to the heart of defense.

All this was long before Maguire was signed by United, who eventually went on to cough up £80 million for his services in 2019.

Why Casemiro orders dossiers on referees before matches

Sports Brief also earlier reported of how Manchester United’s new signing Casemiro has a tendency of taking on ‘case studies’ of match referees so he knows exactly how to deal with them.

Bruno dos Anjos, who is Casemiro’s former teammate, recently spoke to the Telegraph where he opened up on his friend’s tactics pre-game.

"He plays in a role where you talk a lot to the referees and are more likely to receive a card. Anjos said.