Under-fire England star waited for 2 hours after 3-3 Germany draw for private chat with Gareth Southgate: Reports
Harry Maguire reportedly waited two hours after England's 3-3 draw with Germany to have a private conversation with manager Gareth Southgate.
The defender has been horribly out of form since the beginning of last season and is no longer a first-choice pick at Manchester United. Despite starting just two Premier League games this season, Southgate selected Maguire to play every minute of the Three Lions' clashes against Germany and Italy.
Luke Shaw believes Harry Maguire has suffered more abuse than anyone he has come across in football and wants England fans to accept the fact his Manchester United team-mate remains a key England player. https://t.co/mH4nzHTbkx
Maguire failed to repay Southgate's faith against the Germans as he misplaced a pass before tripping Jamal Musiala in the area. That mistake gifted the visitors a penalty at Wembley Stadium that allowed Ilkay Gundogan to score the game's opening goal.
The Manchester United captain was caught out again minutes later as he was dispossessed while horribly out of position. Germany launched a lethal counter-attack before Kai Havertz fired a finish into the top corner as Maguire failed to track back in time.
This was England's final game before the World Cup in November. The Mirror has claimed that the defender waited until Southgate had finished all of his media duties to have a chat with him.
The England boss clearly has a lot of faith in the centre-half, who continues to get into the team ahead of the likes of Tyrone Mings, Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori.
Nothing is going right for Harry Maguire 😖 https://t.co/I5kRPzjWjO
Gareth Southgate asked if he will stick with experienced England players heading into the World Cup
Southgate managed to take the Three Lions to their first major final in 55 years last summer but has been accused by many of being too loyal to his players.
Luke Shaw was also selected last night despite being dropped by Manchester United and Southgate was asked about his team selection for the upcoming World Cup. The Englishman told reporters (as per the aforementioned report):
"That's always going to be a challenge, especially regarding how much football they've had. I know everyone will focus on Harry. But there were some very important moments Harry delivered during the two matches."
"Luke was another example of someone who is an outstanding footballer, so what do we do? Not pick Luke Shaw because he's not playing enough football or do we pick a player who can do what you saw tonight?"
Southgate added:
"That's always going to raise debate. But I think in these moments, we've got to back our best and our most experienced players unless we're in a situation where it's almost untenable and impossible to pick them."
Gareth Southgate continues to stay loyal to defender Harry Maguire.
But can he take the chance on him in the World Cup after what he saw against Germany?
Judge for yourself 👇
#BBCFootball