Gareth Southgate jumped to Harry Maguire’s defense after all of his passes were ridiculed against Scotland with the England coach branding it a “joke” and adding his treatment was “ridiculous”.
Maguire, who came off the bench for England in the 3-1 win over Scotland, was brought on at half-time due to an injury to Mark Guehi and was subjected to jeers from the Scottish fans for every pass he made. The England defender went on to score an own goal in his side’s impressive win.
It was a similar situation to the one he faced in Manchester United’s match with Arsenal, where he was given a standing ovation by Arsenal fans as he arrived on the field.
Southgate did not hold back when asked about his assessment of the somewhat brutal treatment meted out to the Manchester United player.
He said: “From the point of view of Scotland fans, I understand that. I have no complaints about what they did. It is a result of the ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time.”
“Our fans have realized that there might be a bit of anger from our fans but we don’t get it from others. It’s a joke. I’ve never known a player to be treated like that, not just by the Scots.” He has created for the fans, but also through the commentators and pundits, something beyond anything I have ever seen. He has been a stalwart for us, and part of the most successful England team for decades.
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Chris Boyd says Jude Bellingham is heading straight to the top and believes he is as good as Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney.
“He’s been a key part of that. I’ve talked about the importance of top players, and he’s very important to that. Every time he goes on the pitch, the resilience and the balls he shows are absolutely unbelievable. He’s a fantastic player. We’re all for it, and I feel very strongly about that.” The command.
“He’s good, he’s great. He was a big part of that win. He talked to the media because he’s that kind of player. He was up front like he always does.”
More to follow…
