Not everyone would consider Harry Maguire the Premier League’s best centre-back, but that has been the experience of Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz.
Muniz enjoyed another decent season with Fulham in 2024–25, scoring eight Premier League goals to help the Cottagers finish 11th and secure a fourth successive year in the top flight for the first time since they were relegated at the end of a disastrous 2013–14.
The Brazilian faced leading centre-backs William Saliba, Gabriel, Levi Colwill and Rúben Dias throughout the course of the season. He named Virgil van Dijk as being one of the best he’s faced, but didn’t hesitate to tell The Athletic it is Maguire he rates the most.
“Maguire. He’s always making contact, doesn’t leave you in peace, it’s constant. You have to be very focused,” Muniz explained.
“Maguire and Van Dijk would be my top two—Van Dijk gives you a bit more space. The perfect centre-back would be a mix of Maguire and Van Dijk. It’s very difficult to play against both of them. Both have so much quality, both in the physicality and the pace.”
Maguire has struggled at times during his Manchester United career, battling against the weight of being, still, the most expensive defender in history. He has also had to contend with off-field legal battles relating to an arrest on holiday in Greece in 2020 and was even eventually stripped of the Manchester United captaincy after falling out of favour under former manager Erik ten Hag.
But the England international has shown promise under Ruben Amorim, appearing to suit the 3-4-2-1 system the coach swears by, as the middle of the three centre-backs. When thriving for England and former club Leicester City, he was hailed for his physicality and old-fashioned style of defending, which is what Muniz said he had the most trouble trying to contend with.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Striker Names Shock Man Utd Player as ‘Toughest Opponent’.
