Harry Maguire: England defender says he can handle criticism after tough night against Scotland | football news

Harry Maguire has claimed he can handle all the criticism that comes his way after a tough night for England against Scotland, adding that any focus and pressure he can take from his team-mates is a positive.

Maguire, who came on as a substitute in the first half, was booed by the Hampden Park fans every time he touched the ball and scored an own goal in the second half, despite England winning 3-1 in a friendly match on Tuesday night.

The treatment of Manchester United defender ‘furious’ Gareth Southgate prompted him to brand it an ‘absolute joke’ and the England manager blamed the actions of ‘people in our country’ for Scotland fans jumping on his back.

Maguire had his own take on the recent criticism: “I wouldn’t say I’m someone who suffers from pressure mentally. I’ve been through a lot in the last two years and I’ve been captain of Manchester United for almost four years. Factor in a huge amount of responsibility and everything that comes with it, and that’s a lot of evil.” And goodness.

“I can’t say I’m used to it, but I can deal with it. It takes the pressure off my teammates and puts it all on me. It makes them play better, for sure. It’s a bit of a joke. A bit of banter, and it’s a hostile environment, Coming to Scotland.

“We gave them a goal, which was unfortunate. We knew it was going to be aggressive and in the second half, I scored most of it. I’m happy to accept that, don’t worry about it.”

Maguire received praise from the away fans at Hampden throughout the second half and said “nothing is better” than receiving applause from the England fans.

When asked about the positive treatment, he added, “They saw what I did for England during 59 international matches.”

“I’ve been to three major tournaments with them, they follow us loudly and proudly, and I grew up as a huge England fan, and there’s nothing better than receiving a great reception every time I play for my country.”

More to follow…

Southgate: Credit Maguire

Talking to Sky Sports News “He just came out and spoke to the media, which I think shows his resilience and character,” Southgate said on Tuesday evening.

“We are now in a situation where, because of the people in our country, the opposition thinks they can have a good time with him. What is this?

He added: “He was a fantastic player for England in one of our most successful teams – which was crucial to what we were doing.”

“Do we allow him to be open to this? It’s a joke, an absolute joke. It makes me angry.”

“Fortunately he’s got the support of the dressing room and the people behind him. I think the England fans in the stadium tonight were absolutely fantastic.

“I don’t have a problem with Scottish fans – they’re having fun. But what excites it is the people in our country. Other players will think: ‘Is this what lies ahead?’

“A huge credit to him is that he was able to show his composure on the ball, keep possession and put that moment behind him.”

Analysis: Southgate ready to continue with Maguire

Rob Dorsett from Sky Sports News:

Maguire has become a caricature of disaster in the eyes of many people in and around football, and his manager Gareth Southgate has had enough, plain and simple. I have rarely seen an England manager so lively as he was when he spoke to me in the mixed box at Hampden Park last night. His fatherly instincts came out again. We’ve seen that with the younger players in the team in the past but last night he was one of the senior players who looked to protect them.

I don’t think the England fans criticized Harry Maguire or made fun of him, on the contrary, they were chanting his name. But the point Southgate is making is the criticism Maguire has taken from pundits, the media and social media has created this caricature of disaster that is fair game for opposition fans to experience.

I have a feeling that Gareth Southgate will go all out here and become more stubborn and continue to pick Harry Maguire and continue to play Harry Maguire even if the noise around it is growing against the idea of ​​playing for England.

To put that in context, Maguire scored an own goal last night and was unlucky. It can happen to any player. He played very well for the rest of his 45 minutes, his positional play was good, he didn’t give the ball away, however, even on our Sky Sports website and app, we gave him a 4/10, two lower than everyone else. . The vast majority of England players scored 7 or 8 out of 10.

No one is wrong, it is a personal matter and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but Southgate is fed up with opinions that he believes are misleading and which are clearly being directed at Harry Maguire.

Ramsdale: Maguire is a leader, I love working with him

Aaron Ramsdale watched Maguire’s stray touch go past him and into the net at Hampden Park to ruin his chances of a clean sheet, but the goalkeeper also strongly defended his team-mate after the game.

Talking to Sky Sports NewsThe Arsenal goalkeeper said: “I can sympathize with him in a way because I was at the other end of the Premier League and relegated twice.

“When you’re in a period where fans or pundits are putting you under a microscope, every little thing is analysed. If he’s playing week in week out, or that hype isn’t there, and he scores an own goal, that’s probably been swept under the rug.

“He tried to do the right thing and explain it, but he failed. It’s unfortunate but because of the situation, people are exaggerating, saying he shouldn’t play.”

“Maguire, as we have seen over the last few years for England, is one of our best defenders. He is very strong mentally, has great people around him and knows his qualities.”

“He is a leader and I love working with him.”