In Focus: Maguire proving his worth as Ten Hag watches on

Harry Maguire is a player who splits opinion among football fans but he has the unwavering support of England boss Gareth Southgate.

Despite receiving criticism for his unimpressive performances for Manchester United in recent years, the defender has started every game for the Three Lions in Qatar.

So far, the 29-year-old has barely put a foot wrong at the World Cup but doubt remains over whether his performances can earn him a starting spot under Erik ten Hag.

Ahead of the quarter-final clash with France on Saturday, we turn the spotlight on England's star centre-back.

Taking his chance

Maguire's numbers during his time in Qatar have been reminiscent of the player who shone at Leicester before his big-money move in 2019.

In the four games so far, the 52-cap international has averaged 1.59 tackles per 90 and has won 10 of his 13 aerial duels.

These stats paint an interesting picture — Netherlands star Nathan Ake has won less than half of his aerial battles and has made fewer tackles than England's No6.

Furthermore, domestic team-mate Raphael Varane has made five fewer tackles than Maguire and has completed six clearances compared to his 14.

The numbers present a valid argument to suggest that the 6ft 3in centre-back is thriving on the international stage — but he will face a much sterner test on Saturday.

Should he come away from the clash with France having prevented Kylian Mbappe from scoring, his claim for a place in Ten Hag's XI will be hard to ignore.

Confidence is key

Maguire's confidence will have taken a massive hit following his exclusion for most of the Premier League campaign so far. 

With only three domestic starts under his belt in 2022 and two of his four appearances ending in wins, United's £80million man has not had the chance to prove himself under the new head coach.

His style of play favours the beliefs of the former Ajax manager, who is keen on possession football and playing around the press.

This is another area where Maguire has demonstrated a marked improvement during the World Cup — he ranks in the top 10 for passes attempted in the tournament. 

He has also completed more passes than Varane and Ruben Dias combined and has been central in providing long balls to the Three Lions front three, completing 26 of 48.

England's undefeated run has shown that with confidence, Maguire can excel in a back four and play a significant role in a dominant side.

Suitable alternatives

There is a chance that Maguire will not be able to play his way back into the Red Devils' starting XI, no matter how well he performs with his country.

With a deal that runs until 2025, the defender is in a tough situation at United but could look to move clubs in a search for regular minutes.

The £80m fee that brought Maguire to Old Trafford would not be recovered should the 13-time Premier League winners look to cash in but a World Cup triumph could increase his current value.

A transfer would give him the opportunity to prove his critics wrong and rekindle the form that saw him keep 16 clean sheets across two seasons for Leicester.

At 29, the ball-playing centre-half likely has one big move left before he reaches the latter stages of his career and will need to be at his best if he is to remain a part of the England setup in his 30s.

A move in January is unlikely but there will be a decision to be made if he remains sidelined upon his return to Manchester in the coming weeks.

Manager's backing

Despite the lack of first-team minutes under the new boss, Ten Hag has spoken of the belief he has in Maguire.

In a recent press conference, he said: "First of all, of course, I have to coach him, I have to back him but I back him because I believe in him.

"In the period I worked with him, pre-season was good, it was really good, training and games, so then he fell out but it's also to do with the good performances of the centre-backs who are playing now.

"But I can see the qualities and even after he wasn't in the team he trained really well and more importantly, the quality was really there.

"You see his career, almost 50 caps for England, for Leicester and Man United he's performing really well, what you see is high potential.

"The players in the dressing room, the coaches, the manager believe in him. That's what I told him, I'm sure he can do it and he will turn it around, I'm convinced of that."

Maguire will face his toughest test in Qatar when they face up against the 2018 champions but there is a sense of belief around the England squad that they can do something special.