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Gareth Southgate “delighted” for Manchester United star Harry Maguire after England vs USA
England manager Gareth Southgate was “delighted” for Manchester United star Harry Maguire after the Three Lions’ draw against the United States of America.
The 29-year-old started for his national side as they took on the Stars and Stripes on Friday (25 November). It was England’s second game in Group B at the World Cup. And the defender was comfortable on the ball and was ever-present when mopping up dangerous situations.
The Red Devils’ centre-back was impressive in the 0-0 draw in Qatar. And speaking to the media via Manchester Evening News after the match, Southgate was happy for Maguire. The English manager believes the 29-year-old has justified his selection for the prestigious tournament.
“With Harry, I’m delighted for him, that’s the main thing. He’s been such an important player for us and we never had a single doubt about how important he was for us or the faith we needed to show.
“He’s shown that with and without the ball in the two games we’ve had.”
The former Leicester City star has had a hard time at United since last season. As a result, the defender has lost his place in the starting lineup under Erik ten Hag.
In the previous campaign, Maguire made a lot of errors for the Old Trafford side. Many fans wanted the centre-back out of the side due to his underwhelming form.
However, the Dutch manager kept faith in the defender initially. Unfortunately, we lost the opening two fixtures of the 2022/23 campaign in the Premier League. And since then, the 29-year-old has been relegated to the bench.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been Ten Hag’s preferred pairing at the back. And the France and Argentine defenders have formed a formidable partnership for the Red Devils.
However, while Maguire has fallen out of favour at United, Southgate seems to have full faith in him. The 29-year-old has been pivotal for England in past tournaments. He was pivotal for the Three Lions during their semi-final run at the 2018 World Cup and was one of the best players during Euro 2020.
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Thus, it is understandable why the English manager trusts the centre-back, and maybe Southgate’s evident confidence in the Old Trafford side’s defender makes him play better at the international level.
