John Terry absolutely wowed by 7.6-rated Man Utd man who has to be ‘on the plane’ for the World Cup

John Terry singled out Harry Maguire for praise following his stalwart showing in Saturday’s Manchester derby.

The Manchester United centre-half was restored to the starting XI for the first time since November 8, when he suffered a thigh injury against Tottenham Hotspur and consequently missed almost two months of action.

It showed just how highly Michael Carrick thought of him, given Carrick chose to include Maguire in his first line-up since being appointed interim manager last week.

How Maguire fared vs Manchester City

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Maguire proceeded to play the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford, during which he made five passes into the final third, five clearances, two headed clearances, five recoveries, one tackle and one block, earning himself a 7.6 rating on Fotmob.

Appreciating his fellow defender’s display on Instagram, Terry said: “What a performance from this man today. Get him on the [plane emoji].”

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It goes without saying that making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad in the summer will be moving to the forefront of Maguire’s mind in the months leading up to the tournament kicking off, especially now he’s fully fit and can actually try and have an impact on the pitch.

*Maguire in the league this season (Transfermarkt)

The 32-year-old hasn’t been called upon for his nation since September 2024, when Lee Carsley succeeded Gareth Southgate for a brief spell until Tuchel officially took the reins at the start of 2025.

Maguire awaiting England recall after 16-month absence

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Alas, Tuchel has yet to utilise Maguire’s services, and the player’s ongoing injury concerns haven’t aided his case by any means.

Boasting 64 caps for his nation, the Sheffield United graduate will be keeping his fingers crossed that he can add to his tally when the Three Lions return to action in March for their double-header of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

In addition to Maguire, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount will all be trying to play themselves into contention.