Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heaps praise on Harry Maguire for his return to form at Man United after losing the captaincy – and reveals he is ‘still in touch’ with his former skipper

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lauded Harry Maguire after his revival at Manchester United – and says it shows the kind of character he is. 

The central defender has broken back into the team after being stripped of the captaincy and has become one of Erik ten Hag’s most trusted lieutenants. 

He has been an unlikely source of stability in a season of turmoil and has regained his place in the backline after tumbling down the pecking order last season. 

Solskjaer made Maguire his most expensive signing and captain while managing the club. 

Speaking of his struggles and recent successes, he told Nettavisen: ‘I think he has dealt with it in a fantastic way. It has not been easy. I have kept in touch with him and I have nothing but praise for the guy.

He signed Maguire and made him captain but the defender has struggled under Erik ten Hag

‘He has been in it. It’s not easy to leave Manchester United because you know there’s a downturn almost everywhere you go. You get paid for your efforts when you are that type, when you are a good footballer and show that you have a heart for the club.

‘I guess he has gradually learned who to listen to. I am very happy that Harry in particular shows what kind of player he is, but not least what kind of type and person he is. That’s why I made him captain. We in Norway call it “hell wood”.’

Maguire became the most expensive defender in the world when he joined United in 2019 for £80million from Leicester City. 

Solskjaer hailed him as ‘one of the best centre-backs in the game’ at the time and his initial outings with the Old Trafford outfit impressed. 

However, his form became patchy and Erik ten Hag used him sparingly last season, much favouring Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof. 

Even though West Ham extended him an olive branch this summer, he chose to stay in Manchester and fight for his place.  

This season he has reclaimed the faith of fans and has been a dependable rock, as has Scott McTominay, the midfielder who Solskjaer also praised. 

The ex-United boss also identified Scott McTominay as the ‘kind of person you want in a team’

Erik ten Hag has been able to depend on them in a tumultuous season marred by uncertainty

Solskjaer said: ‘I knew they had it in them, and I think it’s these types of people who get paid for their efforts and get paid back for what kind of people they are… They are the kind of people you want in a team.’ 

McTominay has been a small well of goals for United this campaign, scoring three times in 12 outings. 

His two stoppage-time strikes against Brentford overturned a deficit and sent fans berserk. 

While most United fans would say Maguire and McTominay still have a lot to work on, even solidity is a rare virtue in a campaign that has been encompassed by a takeover saga, a league-high 16 injuries, and internal troubles stemming from the Jadon Sancho fall-out.