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14th September 2023
11:03am BST
Harry Maguire's mum has spoken about the criticism of her son for the first time.
Maguire came on for the second half and scored an own goal as England cruised to a 3-1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park. The whole game saw Maguire subjected to boos and taunts from the home crowd.
After the game, England boss Gareth Southgate passionately defended the Manchester United defender and described the treatment of the 30-year-old as "an absolute joke" and blamed the pundits and media for the increase in jeers.
The former United captain meanwhile has said that he is not phased by the critics and says that he has happy to take the pile on if it helps his teammates to improve.
"I can deal with it. It pretty much takes the pressure away from my team-mates and puts it all on myself. It makes them play better, for sure," he said.
On Thursday, Maguire's mum released a statement in which she said she "wishes this sort of abuse on nobody" and that the abuse has been "unacceptable".
She added: "I understand that in world of football there are ups and downs, positive and negatives but what Harry receives has gone far beyond football.
"For me seeing him go through what’s he’s going through is not ok. I’d hate to have to see other parents or players go through this in future, especially young boys and girls breaking through the ranks today.
"Harry has a massive heart and it’s a good job he’s mentally strong and can handle it as others may not be able too."
Maguire has returned to United following the international break ahead of their home game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
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