125 touches, 93 per cent pass accuracy: Manchester United defender proved his doubters wrong

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Harry Maguire has received a fair amount of criticism during the last 12 months of his career at Manchester United.

The English defender has struggled under Erik ten Hag since the Dutchman was appointed manager of the Red Devils but he got his chance against Crystal Palace.

Maguire started alongside Raphael Varane in the heart of the United defence and the pair struck up a good relationship at centre-back and the Englishman certainly made an impact.

The future seemed very uncertain for the defender with a move to West Ham United reportedly close for the former Leicester City man but the deal collapsed because of the compensation Maguire was owed by United, according to The Guardian.

Maguire’s performances

The Englishman, as mentioned, was superb against Roy Hodgson’s side and was arguably one of the best players on the pitch alongside Sofyan Amrabat.

The defender completed 108 passes, with a pass completion rate of 93% and completed 6 out of 7 of his attempted long balls according to Sofascore, which has always been a key part of his game.

The defender also had 125 touches of the ball and he was influential to United dominating the game from the first minute to the 90th minute of the game.

Does Maguire have a future at United

The defender did receive a few jeers from the Old Trafford crowd early on, which is shameful but recovered well after this and put in arguably a man-of-the-match performance.

The question will inevitably turn to where the defender fits in when all of Ten Hag’s other players are back fit. Lisandro Martinez and Varane are the undisputed first-choice options but the Argentine has looked rather shaky this season.

Maguire looked assured and, crucially, dominant in the air. The former Ajax boss seemingly believed the defender was best as a right centre-back but the defender looked a whole lot more assured on the left of the defence.

The Englishman deserves a start in the Premier League game against Roy Hodgson’s side and this may well be his best chance yet of becoming a fixture in the United team under the Dutchman.