Harry Maguire has taken to social media to express his guilt for conceding a penalty in the second half of England’s 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley.
The 29-year-old started the game after also playing 90 minutes against Italy last week and amid increasing pressure on him to improve, he endured another tough evening.
Luke Shaw defended his team-mate after the game, insisting Maguire is an ‘amazing’ player and that he’s still a big part of the England setup.
Shortly after the game, with Germany salvaging a late draw due to an error from Nick Pope, Maguire apologised for his mistake on Instagram.
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“Mistakes are part of the game , I apologise,” the United captain wrote in his caption alongisde a picture of Harry Kane celebrating his goal.
“Great fight back and spirit to get us back into the game by the lads . Take the positives and look forward to Qatar . The tough times will make us stronger.”
Reece James, the Chelsea defender, was also quick to defend Maguire after the game, arguing that his form is merely a ‘slip-up’ and that he will bounce back going forward.
SN’s verdict…
Maguire now faces an anxious wait ahead of this winter’s World Cup after failing to guarantee playing time before then. As things stand, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are permanent fixtures at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag.
Regardless of his situation at club level, the abuse Maguire has dealt with is abhorrent and unacceptable. Especially considering that he has been England’s best defender over the last four years.
In truth, England would not have reached the semi-final of the last World Cup without him and certainly not the final of last summer’s European Championship. Maguire has been through tough times in the past and he’ll see this as nothing but a minor blip.