The captain timed his run to the near post. No giant, he nonetheless met the left-wing corner with a bullet header. Manchester United were in need of a response in a European tie and the driving force of a skipper had led with a goal. It was, most famously, Roy Keane against Juventus in 1999. In a lesser way – though any comparison may irritate Keane who, as Harry Maguire can testify, can be still more critical of anyone who inherits the United armband – it was Bruno Fernandes against Real Betis.
Keane’s comeback came in the course of an evening, in a Champions League semi-final against Juventus in 1999. A Europa League last-16 tie scarcely has the same magnitude. Yet he became the face of United’s heaviest defeat for 91 years: “a disgrace,” according to Keane’s successor Gary Neville, in the 7-0 thrashing at Anfield. There were calls to strip him of the captaincy. Erik ten Hag has shown he can be a disciplinarian who is unafraid to take on United idols, as Cristiano Ronaldo knows to his cost. The captaincy afforded Maguire no special privileges, as the defender discovered when he was dropped.
