Harry Maguire Opens Up on the Real Reason He Changed His Name at 18

Manchester United star Harry Maguire has revealed why he decided to change his name when he was 18 years old.

Maguire, 32, came through the ranks at Sheffield United before playing for the likes of Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City.

After a string of impressive displays for Leicester, Maguire attracted interest from around the country, but eventually joined United in a deal worth £80 million.

At the time, the deal made Maguire the most expensive defender in the world.

Since then, Maguire has made 254 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 17 goals.

The defender has also become one of the most recognisable figures in English football, having played for the Three Lions 64 times.

Although he has been hit with criticism during his time at Old Trafford, Maguire has returned to form in recent months, earning the trust of manager Ruben Amorim.

Recently, Maguire revealed that his birth name was actually Jacob Harry Maguire, but he decided to change it when he turned 18.

Maguire said to TNT Sports: "My mum decided to call me Jacob Harry [Maguire] when I was born. Then after three months people started calling me Jakey.

"She didn’t like it so she swapped it around to Harry Jacob [Maguire]."

He continued: "But she couldn’t change it by passport until I was 18. As soon as I was 18 I changed it around, so it’s actually officially Harry Jacob now."

Maguire is not the only England star to change his name; former goalkeeper Joe Hart was born Charles Joseph John Hart, but opted to go with Joe to distinguish himself from his father.

Meanwhile, current Three Lions number one, Jordan Pickford's surname was actually Pigford, but his father changed it to prevent his son from being teased.

Maguire returned to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as United take on Tottenham Hotspur in North London.