Rafael van der Vaart was harsh in his criticism of Harry Maguire back in 2019 - and the Dutch icon has not changed his mind about the struggling England defender.
The 39-year-old compared Maguire to amateurs shortly after the centre-back moved to Manchester United for £80million. Former Leicester star Maguire took the captain's armband at Old Trafford not long after, but has since lost his place in the first team under manager Erik ten Hag.
Van der Vaart was asked again about his earlier comments and doubled down. Indeed, in a week when Maguire missed United's heavy Manchester derby defeat through injury, the former Real Madrid and Tottenham playmaker suggested others have begun to take a similar stance.
"He can do something, but if he is worth so much money, Virgil van Dijk is worth £300million," Van der Vaart said on Ziggo Sport in 2019. "If I am going to play with the amateurs on Sunday afternoon, I can easily find three who can do this. I mean that seriously.
Van der Vaart had previously criticised Maguire during England's defeat by the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League earlier that year. He described the centre-back as the "worst player on the pitch" in that game, which the Dutch side won after extra-time.
Maguire's performances this season saw him lose his starting spot at United before sustaining an injury on international duty, with fans of club and country questioning his performances. Van der Vaart has noticed others sharing his opinion, and made this clear during another TV appearance.
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AFP via Getty Images)"When I go see an amateur club on Sunday I can find 3 players who can play like him. I mean that," Van der Vaart said while watching his previous comments back. "I think he goes home everyday and says to his wife: 'I am so s*** but they keep paying me well. They really believe I'm good.'
"Look, I saw Maguire at the Nations League and I just thought he was bad. A few days later he got sold for about €90m, which I believed was ridiculous. I said this on Sky Sports, after that they never invited me again and I got the entire England after me. Now, I have the feeling that suddenly everyone believes he's not really good too."
While Maguire has lost his starting spot at club level, he remained part of England's set-up for the recent UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Germany. A United recall could be on the cards, too, depending on the extent of his injury and the recent setback suffered by Raphael Varane.
Varane, who has been partnering Lisandro Martinez at the back, was forced off before half-time against Manchester City on Sunday. The Frenchman suffered what looked like an ankle problem, and is expected to undergo tests to determine how long he will be on the sidelines.
