Gareth Southgate has once again heaped the praise on defender Harry Maguire.
The Man United captain has endured a tough 18 months. Heavily criticised by fans and pundits for some questionable performances, the former Leicester City centre-back, who has also fallen out of favour with new club manager Erik Ten Hag, is in need of a good World Cup in order to reignite his stagnating career.
However, reaffirming his admiration for Maguire, England’s Southgate, who has continually stood by the 29-year-old, believes his loyalty is paying off.
Maguire has arguably been the Three Lions’ most consistent performer during the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
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Resolute at the back, the Red Devils’ skipper has helped his country keep back-to-back clean sheets, first against the USA and then against Gareth Bale’s Wales.
Now safely through to the prestigious tournament’s knockout rounds, the Three Lions are in the process of preparing for a Last 16 tie against Senegal on Sunday evening, and speaking about Maguire in particular, Southgate, who spoke to the media ahead of the important clash, admitted that the defender’s time at Old Trafford has given him a host of challenges.
Southgate on Maguire: “He’s a good player. He knows we have complete belief in him. He’s had huge performances. He’s been a bit unfortunate with changes of managers & philosophies (at MUFC) and an injury. He’s missed time. But he felt the other night the love of the fans.” #ENG
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) December 3, 2022