Harry Maguire pays tribute to Riyad Mahrez after Leicester spell

Harry Maguire has named Riyad Mahrez in his best XI of players he has played alongside, despite sharing the Leicester City dressing room with the Algerian for only one season.

The England defender selected Mahrez as his right winger when asked by Score 90 to choose the strongest team from his career. Maguire played alongside the Algeria international during the 2017-18 campaign, before Mahrez left Leicester for Manchester City.

Maguire’s choice was accompanied by strong praise for the former Leicester forward.

“He’s a top player, he was one of the best. His ball control, his finishing… I only played one year with him at Leicester before he went to Manchester City, but he had very high qualities,” explained the former Manchester United captain.

Mahrez’s inclusion in Maguire’s team reflects the impression he made during their time together at Leicester.

The Algerian joined the English club from Le Havre in January 2014 and went on to make 179 appearances in all competitions. He scored 48 goals and provided 38 assists during his time with the Foxes.

His Leicester career is particularly remembered for the club’s remarkable Premier League title triumph in 2016, when Mahrez played an important role in their historic success.

By the time Maguire joined Leicester, Mahrez had already established himself as one of the club’s key attacking players. Their time together, however, lasted just one season.

Mahrez’s performances eventually attracted the attention of Manchester City, who moved to sign him in the summer of 2018.

The Premier League champions paid around £60m, equivalent to nearly €68m, to bring the Algerian to the Etihad Stadium.

That transfer came shortly after Maguire and Mahrez had spent the 2017-18 campaign together at Leicester.

For Maguire, one season was enough to leave a lasting impression. Despite the relatively short period they shared as team-mates, Mahrez’s technical ability and finishing were enough for the defender to select him ahead of other players he has played with during his career.

The tribute also underlines the quality Mahrez displayed during his time in England, particularly during his Leicester spell, when his performances helped establish him as one of the Premier League’s leading attacking players.

Maguire has now made his admiration clear by placing the Algerian in his ideal XI, more than eight years after their only season together at Leicester.