Maguire was linked with a move to Manchester United after impressing for England in their run to the World Cup semi-finals.
And Neville believes his performances in Russia were a big reason why Mourinho was so keen on him.
“I thought he was the player of the tournament for England at the World Cup,” Neville said, when asked about Mourinho’s interest in Maguire.
“He answered every single question. We knew he was good in the air, we knew that he was decent on the ball.
“But the way in which he showed authority, every single game he looked to be a leader, he looked like he was authoritative.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
“He stepped out, he was playing on the left-side of the defence which was more difficult for him.
“I just thought he was absolutely fantastic and it looked like you had a mountain out there on the pitch.”
United ultimately did not sign Maguire, with Leicester rejecting two bids for him.
And Neville says it will be difficult for any team to prise him away from the Foxes.
“I can see why a lot of clubs would be interested in him, but obviously Leicester don’t need to sell,” Neville added.
“The price is obviously set by (Virgil) Van Dijk last year at £75million, which means that every centre-back now is well into those sorts of numbers.
“It will be difficult for any club to get him out of Leicester because he is such a big, big player and I was massively impressed with him. He was really good.”