England coach, Gareth Southgate has revealed he is willing to put his ‘reputation’ on the line for under-fire Man United defender, Harry Maguire.
The Manchester United defender has been selected to represent England in the Nations League despite having issues at the club level that have forced him to the bench.
With the 2022 World Cup drawing near, some have questioned whether Maguire should still be the Three Lions’ go-to option. However, Southgate believes he has complete faith in a player who has become accustomed to putting naysayers to rest.
🏴 Harry Maguire this season:
👤 4 apps
📉 4 losses
❌ 8 goals conceded
🧢 Picked for England squadGareth Southgate, football genius 🤥 pic.twitter.com/uoZJhTw5hZ
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) September 15, 2022
What Did Southgate Say?
Asked about Maguire’s continued selection, England manager Southgate said: “Whatever reputation I have, I’m putting it on there. You always have to back your judgement and we feel he is an important player.
“If we thought there were experienced players ready to step in and play at a level above him there would be a different consideration and in some positions there would be a different level of competition in that way.
“He is our most dominant aerial centre-back. Him and John Stones are incredible with the ball. The amount of pressure they have taken for the team in tournaments we have played because we don’t always have that midfield pivot player who can progress the game.
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“It means there is a huge amount more pressure on our centre-backs to use the ball well. And those two are as good as any in world football at doing that.”
Maguire has 46 caps for the Three Lions since making his senior international debut in 2017.
He was a member of England teams that advanced to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and the Euro 2020 final.
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