Moyes reveals odd reason why Man Utd didn’t pursue Maguire back in 2013

August 13, 2019 By Ali M.

Topics: David Moyes, Harry Maguire, Manchester United, English Premier League

The English center-back was on the Scottish manager's radar during his short Old Trafford reign.

Harry Maguire’s Premier League debut with Man United showed why the Red Devils smashed the transfer record for the center-back. The English giants, who have been plagued with a leaky defense for quite a few seasons, made him the world’s most expensive defender in history and in his first top-flight game with his new employers, he put in a Man of the Match display en route to a 4-0 win over Chelsea.

The Englishman was a commanding figure in Solskjaer’s back-four during their opening game win. That is the expectation when you splash a whopping $103M on a single player. However, some criticize the move as being overpriced, with a former Man United boss revealing that the club could have landed his services for a lot less.

That man is none other than David Moyes, the infamous Scottish boss who succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson only to be sacked 10 months later. Dubbed “The Chosen One” after his Old Trafford appointment, he claims he was aware of Maguire’s talent during his 2013/2014 reign but has now revealed his odd reason for opting against pursuing the defender.

Maguire, who was then merely a promising Hull City defender, had come under the radar of Moyes, who was known for signing quality players from England’s lower leagues. However, the Scottish tactician did not pursue him due to his big bum – yes, you read that right.

"We didn’t try to sign him [when at Man United] but we flagged him up at that time,” the 56-year-old told Sports Breakfast (as per The Sun).

"I was very aware of the players in the lower leagues and had a made good career out of bringing them to Everton - whether that be Tim Cahill or all the ones we did through the years.

"Harry Maguire was another one I recognized. He played against Preston North End at home in a league game and I watched him and thought he played really well but at that time he was really big – he had a big a***. You thought 'my goodness, how big is Harry going to be' because he was a relatively young boy at that time.

"To be fair he looks in terrific shape and he hasn’t changed at all really. When I went to United, we had Vidic, Rio, Jonny Evans, Michael Keane, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling

"So for us to go and buy another young center-half wasn’t the biggest thing we needed at the time.

"And Harry Maguire has had to go on his journey. Sometimes the players need the journey to get to where they have to go. He might have struggled then."

Moyes, currently out of work, has been linked with Beckham’s MLS side Inter Miami. Maguire, on the other hand, is preparing for his team’s second Premier League game of the season: a tricky trip to Wolves.