Rejuvenated Manchester United defender Harry Maguire believes that he made the right decision to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford.
The arrival of Erik ten Hag appeared to mark the end of Maguire's Red Devils career, as he was relegated to a sporadic role in the team behind first-choice pairing Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
Victor Lindelof and makeshift centre-back Luke Shaw were also above Maguire in the pecking order, as Man United ended their trophy drought in the EFL Cup and kept a league-high 17 clean sheets in the top flight.
With Maguire also losing the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes, all the signs were pointing towards a transfer elsewhere in the summer window, and a switch to West Ham United appeared to be on the cards.
However, talks between the two parties ultimately broke down, as Maguire always insisted on staying and earning the right to play for Ten Hag, who also re-signed Jonny Evans on a one-year deal following his release from Leicester City.
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Maguire began the season on the bench, but the Red Devils have lost Martinez to an aggravation of his previous foot problem, while Varane has also been out of favour following his own fitness problems.
As a result, Maguire has started all seven of Man United's games since the start of October and has earned plaudits for a number of solid displays, scoring the winner in a 1-0 Champions League beating of Copenhagen for the Red Devils' first European triumph of the season.
The 30-year-old has also helped Ten Hag's side keep back-to-back Premier League clean sheets in 1-0 wins over Luton Town and Fulham, completing the full 90 in the latter despite sustaining a head injury.
Speaking after the victory over Luton at the weekend, Maguire affirmed that he only needed to stay fit to string a sequence of games together, and he "really enjoys" playing for the Red Devils.
"I played a few games last year, I just didn't play as many as I would have liked," BBC Sport quotes the former Leicester City defender as saying.
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"I had two or three opportunities to get a run of games but I broke down with illness and broke down with injuries twice, so I never got the rhythm and never got the run of games so I could prove myself to the manager. I really enjoy playing for this club and I was willing to stay and fight for my place."
Amid his struggles for minutes at club level, Maguire has remained a stalwart for England boss Gareth Southgate, although he accepts that he has been up against fierce competition for places at Old Trafford.
"You use your experience and the memories you've had. I had to work hard in training to make sure I was ready," Maguire added. "There was a lot of talk about me because I wasn't playing games, but I was playing well for my country, went to the World Cup and always thought my form was there.
"But I am up against some top-level centre-backs and last year they were playing amazingly, so I didn't get as many opportunities as I would have liked. This club demands competition for places and that is what we have in my position."
Maguire remains under contract with Man United until 2025 with the option of a further year, and the defender now boasts eight goals and six assists in 186 games for the club since his £80m arrival in 2019.
The England international will now link up with the Three Lions squad for their final two Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta (November 17) and North Macedonia (November 20) as Southgate's men look to seal a first-placed finish in Group C.
Ben Knapton
