Aheed Abrar
Harry Maguire not listening to critics as the Manchester United captain remains confident in his abilities
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has hit back at his critics following doubts from fans around his selection for the England squad. The 29-year-old feels confident in his abilities.
Maguire has not started a single game in the Premier League for the Red Devils since we lost the first two games of the season. Since then, Erik ten Hag has only afforded the England international minutes in the Europa League.
However, Gareth Southgate picked Maguire to be in the latest squad of the Three Lions for the UEFA Nations League fixtures. And the United skipper started the game against Italy at the San Siro. Unfortunately, England lost 1-0, with Giacomo Raspadori scoring in the 68th minute.
Speaking after the defeat to the Azzurri via Manchester Evening News, Maguire is not focused on what is being said about him. The 29-year-old is of the opinion that the news stories about him are often used for clicks.
“I am not concentrating on anybody else and what people are saying, I think if people can make a story about me, I am Manchester United captain, it is going to make big news.”
Maguire has impressed with England in the past
Maguire made his way to United after impressing with Leicester City and the England national team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Three Lions made it to the semi-final of the prestigious tournament. Unfortunately, Southgate’s team fell short against Croatia.
And the 29-year-old was decent in his first few seasons with the Red Devils. Maguire was also handed the captain’s armband in 2020. However, the previous campaign was not the best from the defender.
Maguire, though, was quick to remind people of his past performances for England. The 29-year-old was on the sidelines for the first couple of games during Euro 2020. However, after that, the centre-back was a constant fixture on the Three Lions’ road to the final, getting into the team of the tournament.
“So that is the reason they do it, they like the clicks, and things like that, but I went into the Euros after an eight-week injury, did not play one game and got into the team of the tournament.”
Maguire might have seemingly lost his place in Ten Hag’s starting XI. However, Southgate evidently trusts the 29-year-old to do a job for the national team.
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While fans call for Maguire to be dropped, it seems like the United centre-back will be on the plane to Qatar, barring any injuries. It will be interesting to see if the 29-year-old will be ready to perform for the Three Lions with game time limited for the time being in Manchester.
