BE LIKE ‘HONEST’ HARRY!

NIGEL PEARSON hailed Manchester United captain Harry Maguire’s ability to make the most of his talent – and ordered his Watford players to do the same.

The Hornets are second-bottom going into today’s clash at Old Trafford and will give their hopes of Premier League survival a big boost by getting the better of a player who is well known to Pearson’s No.2, Craig Shakespeare.

Pearson said: “Craig would be a better person to ask about Harry because he signed him at Leicester.

“But what shines through about Harry is that he is good at what he does – he’s honest, visible and he maximises what he has got.

“Never underestimate that quality in any player. If they maximise what they have got we should have some respect for them.

“There are a lot of players who have excellent careers and they might not be at the top of everybody’s hit-list for being the best player in the world.

“But there are players who are really top professionals who week in, week out perform and they are the type of players I have the utmost respect for. That’s the principal of our work, trying to maximise what they have.

“It’s not an easy thing to do. The best way is to build your own side, of course, but you very seldom get the chance to do that these days.”

If Pearson is successful in keeping the Hornets up then he will no doubt get a chance to shape his squad the way he wants.

But having worked closely with United men over the years – particularly Bryan Robson – he is under no illusions.

Pearson added: “I played with Bryan as well. When he took over at Middlesbrough he signed me. I was his captain, and I was also his assistant at West Brom. I also played for Ron Atkinson.

“One of the things you recognise with a lot of players – and certainly when Tom Cleverley came on loan to Leicester – is that you get very driven players with good habits and a winning mentality. That goes with a club expected to win things.”