Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is relishing the prospect of going up against England teammate Harry Kane when United travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
After being without a game in midweek, Spurs will resume their Premier League campaign in what can only be described as the fixture of the weekend against a United team who defeated Granada 2-0 in the first-leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first-leg on Thursday evening.
Spurs will welcome Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to north London 11 points behind them in the table, meaning they will be considered as the underdogs at kick-off. However, Spurs, who resumed their Premier League campaign following the international break with a disappointing 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last Sunday, made light work of the Red Devils the last time the two sides met, coming from a goal down to hammer them 6-1 at Old Trafford.
That day, goals from Son Heung-min (2), Tanguy Ndombele, Serge Aurier and Kane (2), sealed the win to leave United hovering just above the relegation zone.
Since then, however, things have changed dramatically for Solskjaer and his side as they currently lie second in the table with eight games to go.
But if they are to maintain their push to finish second and avoid being caught by the chasing pack behind them, they will have to be mindful of the threat both Son and Kane will pose. The duo have been nothing short of outstanding this season, claiming a total of 32 goals and 22 assists in the Premier League between themselves.
With those statistics in mind, Maguire is fully aware of the threat they will pose, particularly Kane.
“It’s a great game to be involved in,” Maguire told United's club website. "We have more than enough to go there and get the three points. It’s two squads that you expect to be fighting at the top end of the table.
"We’ve got ourselves into a good position and they’re wanting to bridge that gap.
“I want to play in the biggest games possible against the best players; that’s why I joined this club. Harry [Kane] is one of those.
“I know him from England really well. He’s a top striker, one of the best in the world and he does it season after season, scores goals after goals.
“He'll be ready for battle and I'll be ready for battle. May the best man win.
“It's not just individuals; it's a team effort. As a defensive unit we've got to be strong, go there and get a clean sheet and give the team the best opportunity to win the game.”
In 14 career appearances against United, Kane has scored just four goals, but all of them have come in victories against the Old Trafford club.
