Harry Maguire ‘so far off it’ and needs help to become leader Manchester United need, as Emile Heskey tells England centre-back to follow Nemanja Vidic’s example

Premier League legend Emile Heskey says Harry Maguire is 'so far off it' and requires help to become the leader Manchester United need.

The Red Devils are in desperate form, particularly in defence, failing to keep a clean sheet since August, a run stretching ten games.

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Leicester, Atalanta and Liverpool put a combined total of 12 goals past United, with the biggest horror show coming in a 5-0 defeat to the Reds at Old Trafford.

As club captain and the most expensive defender of all time - United spending £80million to sign him from Leicester - Heskey insists the Red Devils need so much more from Maguire.

He told talkSPORT's Kick Off: "He just hasn't been good enough. I was at the Leicester game where he was making mistake after mistake.

"It was only a matter of time before someone nicked the ball of him and scored, that's exactly what happened.

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen better games of his. He needs to come back confident, because at this moment in time, he's so far off it.

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"People are looking at him to be that talisman, to be that leader.

"They've always had that leader at the back."

For the last three games, United have been without summer signing Raphael Varane, widely considered one of the world's best centre-backs.

The France star could return in the crunch clash at Tottenham this Saturday - live on talkSPORT - giving Maguire and his teammates a much-needed defensive boost.

Heskey recalls playing against Red Devils legend Nemanja Vidic, who also needed help to become a fearsome leader, but believes Maguire can follow the Serb's example.

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The former England striker added: "I remember when Vidic first came, I was at Birmingham at the time.

"We would play on him because his confidence was low.

"When he got that confidence, then you saw a leader. A proper leader.

"I feel he [Maguire] could do that, but he needs help."