Theo Walcott joins a host of people that have spoken out in support of Harry Maguire after more criticism was sent the defender’s way.
Last night, the ex-Manchester United captain replaced Marc Guehi at half-time to try and help England see out a win over longtime rivals Scotland at Hampden Park. In the 67th minute, Maguire registered the Scots’ only contribution of the game with an own-goal. Talk about bad luck.
He had already been jeered by the home fans when he entered the pitch and as expected, it was made worse by the mistake. They soon quietened down when Harry Kane netted the winner though.
Post-match, Gareth Southgate called out rival fans, commentators and pundits for their treatment of Maguire in recent years, saying that the 30-year-old has been a ‘stalwart’ for the Three Lions and that the hate he’s received has been ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’.
Spider-Man star Tom Holland also expressed his admiration for the centre-half, labelling him an ‘asset’ to the national team.
Walcott on Maguire
Walcott, who earned 47 England caps throughout his playing career, said today (via Football Daily): “Listen, he’s playing for England at the highest possible level, out of a certain amount of people that actually play for England, that’s an incredible achievement. It is. People forget that.
“And I think he’s actually one of the highest-scoring centre-backs as well, and people tend to forget that,” the former Arsenal forward added. “This sort of mark on him, I don’t know, I don’t see it. Gareth picks his teams and we’ve got to trust Gareth.
“For me, people just need to get off Harry’s back. He’s playing for England. These people that sit behind social media probably couldn’t kick a ball.”
🗣️ “For me, people need to get off Harry’s back. He’s playing for England. These people that sit behind social media probably couldn’t kick a ball.”
Theo Walcott has called for people to support Harry Maguire. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/CclPiiZgAH
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 13, 2023
Footage courtesy of Football Daily.
