David Beckham spoke to Harry Maguire after England’s win over Scotland in September.
The Manchester United defender has revealed that Beckham called him to offer the centre-back advice on how to deal with the abuse being thrown in his direction.
A mockery has been made of Maguire in recent times, but it continued when he was jeered by Scotland fans after coming on as a substitute at Hampden Park.
However, Maguire has managed to battle on, with help from his family and ex-pros showing him support.
In Beckham’s new series on Netflix, the abuse he suffered from England fans and newspapers is well documented. Becks was targeted by the press after being sent off when England lost to Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
The former United star did not let the abuse affect his performances on the pitch, but he reveals in the new documentary that it took a toll on his mental health. That is presumably why Beckham felt it was important to reach out to Maguire.
“I actually spoke with David about three weeks ago after the Scotland game,” Maguire said, as quoted by The Guardian. “He got in touch with me so it was really nice of him and I really appreciated that. If you watch the documentary David explains a lot of how he dealt with it.
“I’ve spoken about David Beckham being someone I looked up to and watched when I was a young boy. Unfortunately I didn’t end up on the right wing scoring and assisting as many goals as he has. But he was a big role model when I was growing up. It shows how classy he is to reach out and message me. It was something I really appreciate. It was touching.
“The main thing he did is he reminded me of the career I’ve had to date and the big moments I’ve had in my career. When you’re going through tough moments you’ve got to go through past experiences and where you’ve gone in your career.”
Gareth Southgate has also stood by Maguire and keeps selecting him for his squad, even though the defender has been overlooked by Erik ten Hag for most of the season. That said, Maguire was brilliant against Brentford last weekend as United came from behind to win 2-1. He even provided an assist for Scott McTominay’s late winner.
The 30-year-old adds that he has learned from Beckham’s resilience after his red card against Argentina.
“Every career is so up and down, especially when you reach what I’ve reached, in terms of being the captain of the biggest club in the world for three and a half years. He’s been in that position and knows what it’s like. Obviously having watched the documentary I couldn’t believe how much he went through.”
On the abuse, Maguire continued: “I try and stay away from it all. Obviously you can’t stay away from it as your family and friends are probably seeing things. They probably read a lot more than I do. There has been a lot of talk about me over the last year.”
Get the latest Manchester United news, opinion, interviews and exclusive features with the Stretty Newsletter – Ad Free! Kick off your afternoon with the Stretty News verdict on all matters Manchester United.
