Nicky Butt believes Manchester United have ‘let down’ Harry Maguire by failing to sign a suitable centre-back partner.
Maguire scored United’s late winner in their 2-1 victory against Liverpool on Sunday, which has secured back-to-back Premier League wins for Ruben Amorim for the first time since he became manager last November.
The 32-year-old, who was signed in an £80 million deal from Leicester City in 2019, has come under fire for his performances during his time at United and was even stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag two years ago.
However, Butt believes United have failed Maguire by their inability to source a centre-back partner who can compliment his defensive ability.
‘Do you know what you were saying about never letting the club down, I think it’s the other way around, I think the club has let him down, if I’m honest,’ Butt said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
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‘If you look at his best games they have always been for England, he’s had John Stones next to him, it’s like a Yin and Yang. If you look at all the best partnerships for Man United, Bruce – Pallister, totally different players, Vidic – Ferdinand, totally different players.
‘With Harry, he’s going to that club and he’s never had a player next to him who can compliment him ever.
‘Basically what Man United have tried to do over the years is try to play out for the back and they’re trying to get Harry on the ball and play out from the back like a Rio [Ferdinand] or John Stones, he just doesn’t have that in his locker.
‘So I think the club have let him down with the partners he’s had next to him. And now he got his reward for all the crap he’s had for the last two or three years.’
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Steve Bruce, who signed Maguire for Hull City in a £2.5m deal from Sheffield United in 2014, reveals the only ‘question mark’ about the United defender is his lack of pace.
‘I signed him back in the day for Hull and Stan Ternent was my chief scout at the time who dragged me to go and see Harry,’ Bruce said.
‘And as soon as you see Harry, even when he was a kid, the one thing you worry about is his mobility.
‘I’m sitting next to Stan watching H and we’re in the Premier League at the time, we just got there with Hull, and the first thing you look at, mobility-wise, there’s a question mark, that’s always going to be labelled against him.
‘That was the one thing I said to Stan at the time who was adamant he was going to be a really top, top player so we went with him.
‘When he was at Sheffield United, he was captain, he’d played 150 times before he was 21 before we took him to Hull, in both boxes he was magnificent. When he was young he had it to a tee, he was easily Sheffield United’s best player and I’m glad to see that his career has just moved forward and it’s been tough on him these last few years and when West Ham came in for him I thought [he would leave].’
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