Aheed Abrar
Glen Johnson believes England fans will not want to see Manchester United defender Harry Maguire start at World Cup
Former Premier League defender Glen Johnson believes England fans will not want to see Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire start at the World Cup.
Maguire has not had the best of seasons under Erik ten Hag. The defender has lost his pace in the Old Trafford side’s starting XI. And the 29-year-old has been on the sidelines since the international break.
Speaking to bettingodds.com (h/t Manchester Evening News), Johnson, who used to play for Chelsea and Liverpool, feels Maguire will not instil hope in the Three Lions’ fans.
“I don’t think there will be many England fans out there hoping he starts. I think you kind of have to take him but he’s not going to fill anyone with confidence if he is playing in a back-four.”
While our captain has fallen out of favour at United, Gareth Southgate still seems to trust him. The centre-back was included in the recent England squad to face Italy and Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
Maguire started both games for Southgate’s team. However, the 29-year-old was poor, especially against Die Mannschaft. And the defender also picked up an injury in the thrilling 3-3 draw against Hansi Flick’s team.
Even though Maguire has lost his place in the Red Devils’ starting lineup, Southgate is still expected to take him to Qatar. However, England fans feel there are better options than the 29-year-old for the Three Lions to choose.
Maguire was good for England during their Euro 2020 run to the final. Southgate’s team eventually lost to Italy at Wembley Stadium in the penalty shootouts. However, the United centre-back was one of the best performers during the tournament.
But since then, Maguire has made a number of errors with the Red Devils. And subsequently, the defender now finds himself in the peripheries of the squad with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane the preferred partnership.
More Manchester United News
- Representative of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen discards ‘strange’ Manchester United rumours
- Luke Shaw waxes lyrical about “unbelievable” Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez
- Cristiano Ronaldo 20th, Manchester United star Casemiro 17th in 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings
Will Maguire find a way back into United’s team? Only time will tell. It remains to be seen whether Southgate starts the 29-year-old at the World Cup.
