Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Lund of plenty
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER claims Harry Maguire’s scrap to the top of English football makes him the perfect player for today’s bear-pit battle with Sheffield United.
Manchester United and
England star Maguire might be the world’s most expensive defender at £80million.
But his route to the top hasn’t been flashy after starting his days at the Blades academy and climbing up the ladder via Hull City, a loan spell at Wigan and two impressive seasons at Leicester.
“I think the top academies are great, but sometimes you see a different type of player coming through the other route,” said Solskjaer.
“Look at Jamie Vardy. Players sometimes find their own way and make a career instead of being in the academy.
“For me, 100 per cent, I was the same. I have come through the back door myself and I like players with a different type of mentality.”
Solskjaer’s had no hesitation in making Maguire captain when first-choice skipper Ashley Young isn’t playing.
“Harry has been different class on and off the pitch. As a leader, but also as a person,” he said.
“You can see players enjoy being in his company, they look up to him, not just because of his size, but also the type of lad he is.
“Ashley is a natural leader in this group. He knows Manchester United, me, Michael Carrick and he knows the demands of
being at United. He was a
MANCHESTER UNITED will hold onto their £100million January war chest rather than chase second-best targets.
Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “It is not about ‘x’ amount of money we have to spend – it is about who do we think will be good for the club in the long term, not just three or four months.
“Those targets we have are probably not available in January. Maybe one or two could be done on a loan deal.”
United have again been linked with out-of-favour Juventus and Croatia star Mario Mandzukic, 33, as a stop-gap striker.