"He knows what it's like" - Harry Maguire says Manchester United legend reached out to him after he was abused by Scotland supporters
Manchester United star, Harry Maguire, has revealed that he has been talking to David Beckham about how to deal with abuse from fans.
He added he saw Beckham's recent documentary on Netflix and could not believe the abuse the legendary footballer got following the 1998 World Cup.
Speaking to the media, Maguire claimed he spoke to the Manchester United legend right after the England vs Scotland game in which he scored an own goal. He was quoted by the BBC as saying:
"I actually spoke with David about three weeks ago, after the game. He got in touch with me so it was really nice of him and I really appreciated that. It meant everything. He reminded me of my career to date and the big moments I've had in my career. When you're going through tough moments, you've got to think on past experiences. He's been in that position and he knows what it's like. I watched the documentary and I couldn't believe how much he went through at the time."
Maguire added:
"I've spoken throughout my career about David Beckham being someone I looked up to and watched when I was a young boy. Unfortunately, I didn't end up on the right wing scoring and assisting as many goals as he has, but he was a big role model when I was growing up. It shows how classy he is to reach out to me and to message me."
"It was something I really appreciate. It was touching really. I have had some huge plaudits over the years playing for my country. Probably the last year or so hasn't been like that but the previous five I was getting loads and loads of credit," he continued.
England fans have been questioning Gareth Southgate for picking Harry Maguire in every squad despite the defender not playing regularly at Manchester United.
Harry Maguire was not close to leaving Manchester United for West Ham United
Harry Maguire has revealed that Manchester United had not agreed a deal with West Ham United for his transfer earlier this summer. Reports suggested the clubs were in agreement, but the defender rejected the deal.
He has now stated that the transfer had not reached the point where he needed to make a decision. The defender added he was working to get back into the starting XI under Erik ten Hag and was not giving up on his career at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag took the captaincy from Maguire at the start of this season as he did not count on the Englishman. The manager handed the armband to Bruno Fernandes, but the Red Devils are not off to a good start, sitting in 10th place on the Premier League table with 12 points from eight matches played.