Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer heaped praise on Manchester United defender Harry Maguire while picking his Premier League Team of the Week.
The Red Devils made it three victories on the bounce following a hard-fought 2-1 win over Aston Villa on the road on Sunday. Maguire was handed the man of the match after a resolute performance.
The England international provided a splendid headed assist for Rasmus Hojlund to open the scoring. He was also brilliant defensively, winning 11 out of 12 duels and all four of his tackles.
He also made five clearances over 90 minutes alongside 80 touches and 47 passes. Shearer unsurprisingly included him in his Team of the Week alongside Andre Onana.
“Outstanding against Villa’s pacy attack and showed a great attitude once again,” he said:
Maguire had the choice to join West Ham United during last summer’s transfer window. However, he decided to stay and fight for his starting spot under manager Erik ten Hag.
The 30-year-old started the campaign as a regular on the bench. He eventually got the nod ahead of Raphael Varane for the right centre-back role until he picked up a groin injury.
The centre-back was recently reinstated into the starting plans after his comeback. He may not be displaced from the XI anytime soon unless he has a poor run of form.
United are currently six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur after the win at Villa Park. They will be aiming to close the gap further when they face Luton Town on Sunday.
Luke Shaw was substituted at half-time against the Villans as a precaution, but he is anticipated to retain his left-back position when the Red Devils travel to Kenilworth Road.
Stats from Sofascore.com & WhoScored.com
