Analysis: Maguire continues to prove his critics wrong

Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez, John O'Shea, Ryan Giggs and Diego Forlan.

The list of Manchester United players who have scored winning goals at Anfield over the past couple of decades is not extensive.

But you can now add Harry Maguire to it.

It says so much about his resilience that he is still a United player.

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was willing to sell him to West Ham but the centre-back refused to go. When I spoke to Maguire in August after he had been left out of the opening game of the season and asked about his future, he said he believed he would get enough games.

He never lets his head drop. He always does his best.

There was criticism when he was preferred to Leny Yoro at Anfield but Amorim explained Maguire was going to be a major asset in the box.

He was. In the last frantic stages, he won headers and tackles. He didn't lose his cool when it would be easy to be caught up by a frenetic atmosphere and United were fighting for their lives.

But it was at the other end where Maguire made his decisive contribution - heading in from six yards after Bruno Fernandes had superbly volleyed a cross into his path - to give Amorim his long-awaited second successive Premier League win.

In an era where virtually every facet of a player's game can be measured, it is the one that can't - character - where Maguire really excels.