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13th September 2023
09:30am BST
Gareth Southgate has come out in support of Harry Maguire and hit back at those who have criticised the defender after his performance in England's win against Scotland.
England recorded an impressive 3-1 victory against the Auld enemy in a special friendly which commemorated the 150th anniversary since the first ever international fixture between the two sides.
Quickfire goals from Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham put the Three Lions in the ascendancy before the hosts pulled one back at Hampden Park after Maguire turned the ball past Aaron Ramsdale into his own net.
Bellingham, who was the standout player, turned provider for England's third as his magical footwork allowed him to thread through a killer ball to Harry Kane, who made sure of the win.
All the talk after the game was once again about Maguire, with many choosing to criticise the Manchester United man on social media but Southgate, who has strongly defended the 30-year-old in the past, came out in support of him once again.
"I've never known a player treated the way he is," said the England boss.
"He's been an absolute stalwart for us in the second most successful England team for decades - he's been an absolutely key part of that. I've talked about the importance of our senior players, he's been crucial among that.
"Every time he goes on the field, the resilience he shows is absolutely incredible. He's a top player and we're all with him and our fans were brilliant with him... From a Scotland fans' point of view, I get it. I have absolutely no complaints with what they did.
"But it's a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time. It's a joke. Not by the Scottish fans but by our own commentators, pundits or whatever it is. They've created something that's beyond anything I have ever seen.
"I think our fans recognised, 'OK there might be a bit of heat from our own supporters but we're not going to have others getting into him'."
Maguire also seemed to take a dig at the Scotland fans after the game, who had been vocally critical at Hampden Park.
In an Instagram post reflecting on the game, Maguire appeared to reference the England chant: "Scotland get battered, everywhere they go."
He said: "Enjoyable camp with the lads - always a pleasure representing my country. Everywhere they goooo."
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