Okay, so let me tell you about my little adventure with Maguire in FIFA 22. I know, I know, he’s not exactly known for being a world-beater, but hear me out!

It all started when I was messing around with career mode. I decided, for a laugh, to try and turn Maguire into a world-class defender. I mean, why not, right? Needed a project, something to keep me entertained.
First thing I did was check out his stats. Pace was, uh, not great. Defending was decent, but needed work. Physical? Could be better. Basically, he needed a lot of help. So, I started focusing on his training. Speed drills were the priority. Had to get him at least a little faster. Threw in some tackling and interception drills too, just to sharpen his skills.
Then came the tough part: getting him game time. I put him in every match I could, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of defensive stability. Every game was a chance to improve. I made sure to give him specific instructions: stay back while attacking, aggressive interceptions. Tried to minimize his exposure to pacey wingers. That did not always work.
Man, there were some frustrating moments. He’d get caught out of position, make clumsy challenges, the usual Maguire stuff. My blood pressure definitely went up a few times. But I stuck with it. Used every bad play as a learning opportunity, both for him in the game and for me as the manager.
Slowly, very slowly, I started to see improvement. His pace edged up a little. His tackles became cleaner. He even started winning a few headers in the box! I was actually kinda proud. Like I was his football dad or something.

The biggest surprise? His passing. I worked on his short passing in training, and he actually became pretty good at playing out from the back. Nothing fancy, but reliable. It added a whole new dimension to my team’s play.
Now, did I turn Maguire into the next Van Dijk? Nah, let’s be realistic. But I did make him a solid, dependable defender. He was a key part of my team, and that’s all that mattered. Plus, it was a fun challenge, and I learned a lot about player development in FIFA 22.
So, if you’re looking for a different kind of FIFA challenge, give it a try. Take a player everyone thinks is rubbish, and try to make them great. It’s more rewarding than you might think.
- Train hard
- Play every game
- Don’t give up
And most importantly, have fun with it!