Leicester City’s Harry Maguire features in Premier League ‘Team of the Season so far’

Harry Maguire is the most highly performing Leicester City player in the Premier League this season, according to popular football stats company WhoScored:

Following a grueling non-stop season in 2017/18, staunch Leicester City stalwart Harry Maguire had a long and hard-fought, incredible World Cup with England. Then it was directly back into Premier League action with the Foxes.

Phew, evidently there is no time to rest for the English football cult hero. Whom, is now the subject of a petition to have his image on an inflatable unicorn on the new £50 note – as BBC Sport further detail.

All that, and he and the club rejecting Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United too. Although, it is flattering to have clubs of that stature – however struggling, currently – interested in Leicester City players. It means the honourable defender and his club are getting things right.

Highest performing Fox

James Maddison and Ben Chilwell will be mildly disappointed to see themselves pipped to the place – along with Wilfred Ndidi in fourth-Fox-position – by Maguire. Yet, as is the modern professional’s way: the young Foxes trio will be pleased for their elder’s inclusion.

The 25-year-old is relatively comfortable these days shaking hands with Neymar and the superstars of the World; usually after keeping them in ‘his pocket’ after a well marshalled international outing.

That too is said, occasionally, of the company he keeps in the Premier League ‘Team of the Season’: Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette. Form players Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling – whom helped Maguire and Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions defeat Spain on Monday – are top bill in the list.

This is how WhoScored explain the inclusion of the Sheffield-born footballer, from their prospective:

"“It’s an all-English centre-back partnership in the form of James Tarkowski and Harry Maguire, with the pair impressing for Burnley and Leicester, respectively. Tarkowski, who missed out in recent UEFA Nations League meetings with Croatia and Spain through injury, has again been a crucial performer at the heart of the Clarets backline, gaining a WhoScored rating of 7.44. Maguire goes one better, returning a WhoScored rating of 7.45.The Foxes centre-back, who is at the centre of a petition to have him riding an inflatable unicorn as the face of the new £50 note, has been expectedly excellent at the heart of the Leicester defence, netting twice for Claude Puel’s side, with 3.5 aerial duels won and 6.3 clearances per game helping Maguire secure such a fine rating.”"

Statistically Maguire deserves his position in this novelty side, for want of a better word. In a commanding sense – he should be there. If discussing in terms of a modern style well executed – then the six-foot-four defender expresses that through displays. Not to mention, maintaining form – bar one match this term, possibly – despite playing continuosly at elite level for over a year.

Should Leicester City retain their best performers in the transfer window, like their No.15 – amongst other star players: Maddison, Kasper Schmeichel, Chilwell et al – there is no reason a push for seventh spot in the division cannot be attained. A cup run to Wembley would consequently boost the faithful to almost 2016 heights.