Maguire can’t wait for King Power clash

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is ready for Sunday’s Champions League shoot-out with former club Leicester City, saying “you’re in the wrong sport” if you cannot get up for the high-pressure clash.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were far from their best against West Ham on Wednesday, but the 1-1 draw at an empty Old Trafford was enough to see them break into the top four for the first time since September.

United are in third spot heading into the season finale at fellow Champions League hopefuls Leicester, who slipped to fifth as their poor run coincided with an impressive upturn in the north-west.

Solskjaer’s men will secure a return to European football’s top table if they avoid defeat at the King Power Stadium, with Maguire returning for the first time since last summer’s big-money move to Old Trafford.

“We’re disappointed,” the United skipper said after the 1-1 draw. “It was an important game – a very important game not to lose – but we want to win the game.

“We started the game on the front foot, high tempo, big intensity and we should really take the lead. And then we had a sucker punch before half-time, which was disappointing.

“We lost a bit of tempo, a bit of intensity and a bit of aggression and we gave away the ball far too much.

“We’ll look at it but we’re in a great position. We’d have taken this come Christmas, so we have got to take the positives but we’re disappointed not to win the game for sure.”

Mason Greenwood may well have a key role to play against the Foxes, having capped another promising display with an emphatic goal to cancel out Michail Antonio’s penalty.

“It was a great goal,” Maguire said. “When he gets in that box and he can manoeuvre his feet and he can manoeuvre it to either foot, he’s a nightmare for defenders.

“He’s been excellent, it’s great to see him playing with confidence.

“He always seems to be on the scoresheet, especially since we’ve returned from lockdown.

“He’s a special talent and he’s going to have a big future at this club.”

PA. Picture: Harry Maguire is relishing the chance to outfox his old club Leicester City.