Conor Coady has stuck up for England teammate Harry Maguire amid criticism of his inclusion in the September squad.
The former Manchester United club captain was called up to represent the Three Lions this month despite – at the time of selection – having zero Premier League minutes to his name.
His first outing of the campaign came in the form of a 23-minute cameo in United’s fourth game of the season against Arsenal, when he replaced the then-injured Lisandro Martinez and saw out a deflating 3-1 defeat by the full-time whistle.
Maguire was named in a starting line-up for the first time this term when England took on Ukraine on Saturday, which resulted in a 1-1 draw at the Wroclaw Stadium.
At club level, he would’ve been well aware that game time would be limited for the season ahead. Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof all rank higher in the pecking order, meaning his appearances are only granted when injuries or suspensions come into play.
The 30-year-old almost signed for West Ham United during the summer window but the proposed transfer fell through after Maguire couldn’t reach an agreement on a pay-off from the Red Devils. He would’ve played a crucial role under David Moyes should he have completed the move.
Still, he remains a Red for now and as long as Maguire continues warming the bench, there will always be criticism when Gareth Southgate selects him.
Coady backs Maguire
Coady, however, believes that the centre-half is now deemed a ‘mainstay’ in the England setup, suggesting that he’ll always be involved regardless of form of game time.
The Leicester City star told BBC: “We all see the debate when a squad goes out and [people say] ‘he should be in and he shouldn’t be in’. I think the big thing that we’ve got to remember is that it’s still a football team and you still need people within that squad who are mainstays.
“You can say about H [Maguire] not playing as much for United or whatever it is but when you go [on England duty] you feel how big H is there, the presence he’s got, the kind of understanding he’s got of playing for England, how he understands the manager and [assistant] Steve [Holland], who does quite a lot on the grass,” Coady continued.
“I think it’s important to remember from a fan point of view and other people’s point of view that to create a team you do need players in the team who are experienced and have played a lot. Harry brings that and more.
“I’ll be honest, every time I have played with him for England and been in a squad with him, he’s delivered. Every time he goes, especially for those young lads, he’s going to be absolutely massive for the boys coming through as well.”
