Gareth Southgate has slammed the “ridiculous” treatment of Harry Maguire by fans and the media in a passionate defence rant.
The Manchester United and England international is no stranger to having been in the firing lines of criticism from both home and rival fans, as well as countless pundits and media outlets, since his rise to fame and earning a starring role in the heart of defences for both club and country, largely due to his several high-profile controversies and mistakes in recent years.
And that criticism was as evident as ever last night, as when Maguire was brought on at half-time for England’s 3-1 win over Scotland after Marc Guehi sustained an injury, he was subjected to ironic cheers from the Scottish fans with every pass he made.
This was, as you’d expect, made even worse by the fact the 30-year-old unfortunately scored an own-goal despite England clinching the win.
It was a similar situation for the 30-year-old during United’s Premier League clash with Arsenal a couple of weekends back too, where the Gunners fans took aim at the centre half as soon as he entered the pitch.
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But now, it sounds like his national team manager has just had enough of it all – in fact, he’s “livid”.
Southgate may have praised England fans’ response to Maguire’s wrongdoings during last night’s victory, but when taking a look at the bigger picture, he’s just not happy about the level of criticism the defender receives overall.
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Gareth Southgate brands treatment of Harry Maguire ‘a joke’ in fiery defence rant / Credit: Eddie Keogh (via The FA)
Launching a passionate defence of Maguire while speaking directly to the media during his post-match press conference last night, Southgate said: “He’s just come out and spoken to the media, which I think shows the resilience and the character of him.
“[But] we’re now in a situation where, because of people in our own country, the opposition think they can have fun with him.
“What’s that about?
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“He’s been an incredible player for England in one of the most successful teams we’ve had, critical for what we’ve been doing [and] we allow him to be open to that?
"It's a joke, an absolute joke. It makes me livid"
“It’s a joke, an absolute joke – it makes me livid.
“Thankfully, he’s got the support of the dressing room and the people behind him. I thought the England fans in the stadium tonight were absolutely brilliant [and] I’ve no problem with the Scotland fans – they’re having fun.
“But what stirs that up is people in our own country. Other players will think: ‘Is that what awaits us?’
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
Sport
Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Emily Sergeant -
13th September 2023 
