Harry Maguire’s first trophy may also be his Manchester United endgame

I t is during the unguarded moments, often away from the public gaze, when the joy and basic jauntiness of winning a cup is laid bare. There was Jadon Sancho, who came on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Manchester United in their 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory against Newcastle, leaving Wembley on Sunday night with a blaring ghetto blaster, which was quite the change from the usual chunky headphones.

For a few seconds, Wout Weghorst, holding court, was drowned out. The striker, a January loanee from Burnley, had an old-school United scarf over his club tracksuit and a red cap in hand. He was asked what he would have said at the end of December about winning a trophy with United; the first of his career. “Deal,” he replied, beaming.

Weghorst started the game, helped to set up the second goal and if goals are not going in for him personally – he has one in 12 United appearances – but the team are flying he would take that all day long. “I scored a lot of goals in the past and I never won one trophy,” he said. Weghorst captured the wonder of it all.

A little bit before that, there was Sir Alex Ferguson bustling through the mixed zone, where journalists wait to speak to players. Seeing the Manchester pack, he had a crack for one of them. “You’re not still writing are you?” he said (expletive removed) and there was only love and nostalgia from the club’s former manager. Wasn’t there?

Into all of this went Harry Maguire. The club captain, as he referred to himself more than once, had just won the first trophy of his career. His family were in the stands and the victory had gone some way to making up for the disappointment of his other final with United – the Europa League penalty shootout defeat against Villarreal in 2021.