I signed Harry Maguire before the Man Utd move – I was worried about one thing I saw

Manchester United legend Steve Bruce admitted Harry Maguire’s lack of pace worried him when he signed for Hull City.

The former defender managed Hull for four years and was responsible for bringing in Maguire in 2014 in a £2.5million move from his boyhood club Sheffield United.

The England international spent three years in Yorkshire, where he achieved promotion to the Premier League in 2016 alongside Liverpool legend Andy Robertson.

READ MORE: ‘Get rid of them’ – Wayne Rooney gives the brutal verdict on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United squad

READ MORE: Four Manchester United starters in action for FA Cup final places against Brighton

Following Hull’s relegation to the Championship, Maguire secured a £12m move to Leicester City and made an instant impact as he was named player of the season as well as player of the season at the club’s end of season awards.

After just two years at Leicester, the England international became the world’s most expensive defender when he signed for Manchester United for £80m in 2019. He was named captain six months later in what has since been a disappointing tenure at Old Trafford, where he lost the captaincy. of Bruno Fernandes, as well as his place in the starting line-up.

Speaking to Betway, Bruce admitted that while he believed Maguire was talented when watching him for Sheffield United, one facet of his game left him “worried”. “My chief scout at the time, Stan Ternant, said to me: ‘We’ve just seen an interesting player playing for Sheffield United. This kid is good in both boxes. He told me he was 21 years old, played 150 times for Sheffield United. , he’s the captain, he’s won Player of the Year three years at spin’.

“He said, ‘I think the kid’s got something,’ so we went to watch him and I was a little worried when I first saw him because of his mobility.”

Despite his struggles at United, which saw him lose his place in the team at points during the season, Bruce said Maguire was seen as “the scapegoat for too long”, adding: “You understand when it’s not there how much you miss it. He is resilient. He has something about him. He never let England down and for me he never let Manchester United down.