Manchester United captain Harry Maguire recently clapped back at critics over doubts about his selection to the England national squad.
Maguire, who was a staple of United teams since joining in 2019, lost his place in the starting 11 to the recently-recruited Lisandro Martinez. Since the arrival of current manager Erik ten Hag, the former Leicester City star has only started twice in the 2022/23 Premier League season, raking up just 190 minutes in the league.
Harry Maguire Hits Back at Critics Who Questioned England Selection
Harry Maguire says the stories about him are for clicks 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8LkzuvhAeA
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 24, 2022
Centre-Back Feels ‘Fit and Fresh’
The Manchester United captain started against Italy in the side’s latest game but came under the scanner for his performance after England lost the game 1-0. Maguire came out all guns blazing at those who questioned his selection.
In an interview with talkSport, the centre-back stated that people who criticize his presence do it “for the clicks.” He said: “I am all good, ready to play, I feel fit and fresh. On my form, I don’t know what has been said, I don’t really read about it.”
He stated that his presence in the Three Lions squad is secure after “three positive games” in the summer and a good pre-season with The Red Devils.
Harry Maguire Also Commented on His Exclusion From the Manchester United Squad
The club captain was on the receiving end of some criticism after United lost their first two games of the season against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion. Maguire has since been snubbed in favour of a Raphael Varane-Lisandro Martinez partnership at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence.
In the same interview, Maguire talked about being snubbed by Erik ten Hag. He said: “Obviously, the manager decided to leave me out for a game, and the team have [sic] been winning since. I am working hard on the training pitch to make sure I am ready for when my opportunity comes. That is all what [sic] I can do to try and help the team.”
The United captain then clapped back at his critics once again: “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.”
Paul Merson Recently Apologized for His Comments on the Manchester United Star
Maguire was purchased by United in 2019 from Leicester City for an astonishing £78 million. The centre-back was also given the club captaincy in January 2020. However, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was unimpressed with the purchase as he thought the price tag was “ridiculous.”
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During an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Merson was asked about his comments in 2019 and went on to detail that he went too far with the comments. He also stated that he called up Harry Maguire for the criticism dished out to him and that the United captain initially “couldn’t believe it.”
He said: “I don’t want to be right on that – I’d rather be wrong. I want England to win the World Cup and Harry Maguire to get the winning goal. It was just my opinion. I rang up Brendan Rodgers and said, ‘Can you get me Harry Maguire’s number?’”
🏴👌🏼 @England pic.twitter.com/aDb1xMcqyK
— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) September 21, 2022
“I didn’t feel comfortable with myself. I needed to ring him and say, ‘I don’t agree with the £80m, but I shouldn’t have said that and I’m sorry.’ I went a little bit too far. He couldn’t believe it. Probably thought it was a joke.”
However, Merson justified the opinion by saying that it was a “fair crack” since the former Leicester City player was playing on the left side while being right-footed.
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