Michail Antonio is not a fan of the relentless criticism Harry Maguire has been receiving.
Maguire, 29, would have known that the spotlight would be on him following his blockbuster £78m move from Leicester City three years ago.
However, what the England international, who was promoted to the role of captain under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, would not have been expecting is to be singled out by large sections of the media and fanbases, both rival and his own.
That is exactly what has happened though. There is no denying that the 29-year-old has been underwhelming and he certainly doesn’t look to be the best fit for the role of skipper, but some of the criticism he has received has, at times, been close to the bone, and Antonio, who spoke on the Footballer’s Football Podcast, has issued a passionate defence of the United man.
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“There is one person I have always thought about and been worried about over the last couple of years, and that is Harry Maguire,” the West Ham striker said, as quoted by MEN.
“The amount of stick he’s been getting just constantly – end of the day he is a footballer – he’s out there to do a job, but the amount of stick he gets it is everywhere.
“He cannot hide from it. People need to start realising that he is a human being – I understand about giving him stick, but if you want to give stick – give it that night [after the game] and then leave it, let it go and let the boy live.
“The last couple of years all I’ve seen is loads of memes and so much shade thrown at this guy. How is he meant to rejuvenate his career when all you can do is constantly see negativity about yourself?
“You can try and stay strong as much as you can and want, but if people are constantly trying to pull you down, sometimes it’s going to affect you.”
Do you agree with Antonio, or do you think players deserve to be on the receiving end of criticism, no matter how harsh? – Let us know in the comments.
