It has been well documented that Harry Maguire has struggled over the past 18 months for Manchester United, consistently getting jeered by both home and away supporters.

In a world where public opinion is in every crevice, football players especially are made very aware of what fans think of them – and, for the most part, it is not always a pretty sight.

Maguire, who was signed from Leicester City for a world-record fee at the time of £80 million, started positively for the Red Devils and became a stalwart under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the team’s defence.

But after being made captain and a string of poor performances, Maguire’s form dipper immensely, losing confidence along the way and being targeted as a weakness in Manchester United’s defence.

While Maguire’s form for his country never dipped as drastically as it did for the Red Devils, fans of the Three Lions were certainly asking questions as to why he deserved to start based on form, which is what manager Gareth Southgate focuses on when selecting his teams and squads.

During the 22/23 season, under Erik Ten Hag, Maguire only appeared in 16 Premier PINC League matches out of a possible 38. From those 16, only half were from the start. On seven occasions, Maguire played 10 minutes or less in the Premier League.

It was a huge step down from the previous year, where he tallied 30 league appearances and only missed out on the other eight primarily through injury. It was a noticeable step back and demotion, especially having had to deal with being the team captain in name, but not on the pitch.

With the negativity and criticism at an all-time high, which was also further heightened by Manchester United’s poor form towards the end of last season and mistakes that were amplified through social media, Maguire must be given the utmost amount of credit to turn the situation around.

Not only has the England international turned his performances around and now looks to be one of the first names on the team sheet, he has done it without creating unnecessary drama or problems publicly. If comparing the situation to Jadon Sancho, who went nuclear in a very public way after being criticised by Ten Hag, Maguire has handled his personal situation with the highest amount of grace.

It cannot have been easy to be so publicly demoted in the pecking order as well as stripped of the captaincy at the end of the last season. But at no point has Maguire tried to force a move publicly or come out to criticise the manager’s decisions.

Instead, the England centre half has knuckled down and waited for his opportunity. Now, with Raphael Varane losing his place in the team, Maguire has stepped up and taken his chance.

After a rocky few months, there is now an element of stability in Manchester United’s defence. Ten Hag’s side have kept three Premier League clean sheets in their last three matches, as well as only having lost one – against rivals Manchester City – in their last six.

It is now blatant to see that Maguire’s confidence has returned to where it once was with his front-foot defending, aerial prowess and, most importantly, ball-playing abilities. Maguire has topped the charts for pass progression and ball carries for the Red Devils over the last number of matches, which has been absolutely essential and paramount to United’s recent performances.

Manchester United fans will be hoping Maguire has fully come out the other side now and will be an important part in guiding the club to future successes.