STEELED FOR GLORY

Marauding Maguire learned total football in Sheffield

HARRY MAGUIRE’S advances deep into Tunisian territory may have started from the 18-yard box but the true origins go back much further.

Eight years ago at Sheffield United, the teenage defender who had always been good in possession was given licence to try new territory.

‘I made him pick the ball off the goalkeeper and bring it out,’ says John Pemberton, then the club’s academy manager. ‘In youth games, when you start playing from the back people just press you, so he would have to beat a man to get out.

‘He made some mistakes early on but he stomached them. Harry’s intelligent. By the end he was doing it quite comfortably. He used to say, “I enjoy having the ball, so I don’t mind being put under pressure”.’

Little surprise then that, at 25, Maguire responded so well to the pressure of a World Cup debut. Despite being one of three centrebacks, his touch map looks like that of a left-winger, so frequent were his forays forward against a deep-lying defence.

He touched the ball 94 times, more than any other England player, with 44 touches in Tunisia’s half — three more than Kyle Walker and John Stones put together.

Of his 79 passes, 38 were made in the attacking half and 32 were accurate, at least five more than anybody else. He also set up three chances, second only to Kieran Trippier’s six and, of course, his header l ed t o Harry Kane’s winning goal in stoppage time.

It became clear Maguire’s confidence in breaking between the lines would be of great importance in Gareth Southgate’s system.

‘ He adds a different dimension,’ Pemberton tells the Mail on Sunday ‘As a kid he was this big, gangly lad. But I realised how good he could be, because of his ability and attitude.’

At 17, Maguire would flit between midfield and defence but Pemberton knew centre-back was his best route to the first team. It was in that role he faced a Manchester United side including Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in the 2011 FA Youth Cup final, and made his senior debut at 18.

Pemberton recalls: ‘ We played Cardiff at home and Harry came off the bench. With his first touch he absolutely smashed Craig Bellamy. It was a brilliant tackle. The whole of Bramall Lane stood up and clapped.’

That fearless attitude was t he natural by-product of growing up with two brothers. ‘It was a competitive upbringing, smashing each other in the garden,’ Maguire said last August.

He attended Euro 2016 as a fan, watching the 0-0 draw with Slovakia from the stands. Though he hoped for international recognition, playing at this World Cup seemed some way off. That was the summer Hull started pre-season with only nine fit players and Steve Bruce’s resignation.

Having signed in 2014 for £2.5million, Maguire had not quite established himself in the side.

Mike Phelan stepped in as caretaker and gave Maguire his first Premier League start in October 2016.

‘Harry was outstanding at Sheffield United but he needed a bit more refining,’ Phelan tells the Mail on Sunday. ‘His body was maturing. It is not just physical but mental. Harry had to learn, and he did.’

Maguire’s determination to improve manifested i t self t hrough regular chats with Phelan ( left) about classy defenders like Rio Ferdinand and 9am trips to the video lounge to study his own performances.

‘He wanted to know where he was at all the time,’ says Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant. ‘ He was interested in the GPS system that tracks distance covered and intensity.

‘Harry wanted to get information on players from Manchester United. “How did so and so deal with that? Why would I need to be in this type of position at this moment?” It’s an education when making that jump to the Premier League.’

Phelan was replaced by Marco Silva i n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7 b u t Magui r e continued to thrive in a back three. That summer he chose Leicester over Tottenham in a £17m switch to ensure game time and it has proved an astute decision.

Phelan says: ‘He is going to learn a lot from the World Cup, because teams will know he will bring the ball out down that left-hand side. Someone like Neymar or Cristiano Ronaldo will try to exploit that. But he is smart enough to adapt.’