The 30-year-old has struggled to gain regular first-team football under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag, with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof all regarded ahead of him in the pecking order.
However, in the absence of the injured Martinez, Maguire has taken his chance in the first team, following up a man-of-the-match display in last weekend's 2-1 win over Sheffield United by scoring a crucial goal – his first since February 2022 – to help Man United claim their first three points in Group A of the Champions League.
Following a dreadful first-half performance, the Red Devils took their time to pose a threat in the final third after the interval, but they eventually made the breakthrough when substitute and man-of-the-match Christian Eriksen delivered a pin-point cross into the six-yard area where Maguire powered home a close-range header.
Maguire has received plenty of criticism and unjust abuse from supporters for some time, but the Old Trafford faithful were rightly cheering his name after United's victory over Copenhagen.
The Englishman was thrilled to contribute on a memorable night for the Red Devils along with another player who has come under-fire in goalkeeper Andre Onana, who saved a stoppage-time penalty in dramatic fashion to help United keep hold of all three points.
Discussing his goal in an interview with MUTV, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Maguire said: «It was an amazing ball [from Eriksen]. It was really tough to get something from a corner tonight, their big centre half kept heading them
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