England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has not had the best campaigns this season. The 29-year-old faced scrutiny from the media and fans after every game he played, and was always a target if his team lost.
The Manchester United captain did not live up to his club’s standards, but he generally gave great performances while playing for England. The 29-year-old has always stood out for his nation when they needed him the most and has only played a handful of bad games since his debut 4 years ago.
However, when Harry Maguire’s name was announced at Wembley Stadium while playing against Ivory Coast, he was met with boos and ridicule. The 29-year-old player faced the backlash of the fans for his poor performance with the Manchester United jersey in the league. Many fans and pundits questioned why Maguire continued to be selected for England even if he wasn’t playing well for his club.
Harry Maguire was in the starting 11 against Ivory Coast and played well, but none of the fans were there. The 29-year-old faced harassment and backlash, despite England’s comfortable win with goals from Ollie Watkins, Raheem Sterling and Tyrone Mings.
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England manager Gareth Southgate and the players defended Harry Maguire after their game against Ivory Coast:
Britain manager Gareth Southgate and players defended Harry Maguire after facing boos and backlash from fans at Wembley Stadium. The 29-year-old performed poorly as he wore the Manchester United jersey, and his teammates came to the aid at social media and press conferences after the match.
Gareth Southgate said,I thought the reception was a joke, a complete joke. The way he’s shown for us all this time has been absolutely phenomenal. I do not get it. We are either together in this business or we are not.”
Southgate added,“He wears an England jersey and not only has to support an England player no matter what, but when you play at the level he has for us and put on the performances he has, there must be a total commitment behind him. I don’t understand at all. Their performance was indeed quite flawless. He came out very well from behind for his first goal, he also intervened in the second goal.”
England captain Harry Kane“We’ve worked hard over the last few years to reconnect with England fans, so it wasn’t true to hear Harry Maguire booed at Wembley Stadium before kick-off. The fact that he’s a great person on the field and makes so many good memories for all of us makes it even harder to understand. It doesn’t deserve this reception. He has full support in the dressing room and he should get the same from the England fans.”
Jordan Henderson added,“What happened at Wembley tonight still baffles me. A great player for England. It has been an important part of our success in the last 2 tournaments. It wouldn’t have been possible without him. To be booed unnecessarily in your own stadium? What did we evolve into? What happened tonight was totally unacceptable. As someone who wanted us to win, I consider myself lucky to be sharing a dressing room with him.”
Harry Maguire’s teammate Declan Rice added,“Whoever booed tonight is a complete disgrace. Every time he wore the England jersey, Harry Maguire was great. It has turned into complete bullshit. Supporting your own players is key, especially before a big tournament.”
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