Search icon

Football

12th Nov 2021

Roy Keane blasts Harry Maguire for “embarrassing” celebration

Callum Boyle

You get the feeling Roy Keane isn’t the biggest fan of Harry Maguire…

Roy Keane has slammed Harry Maguire’s choice of celebration after his goal for England against Albania on Friday night.

Maguire scored the opener at Wembley as England cruised to a 5-0 lead in the first-half – the highlight being a perfect hat-trick from Harry Kane.

The 28-year-old, who’s been subject to criticism for his performances at Manchester United, appeared to use his goal as a chance to silence his doubters with his celebration by cupping his ears and then sticking his fingers in his ears as a way to show that he was ignoring his critics.

Whilst there was no animosity from the crowd at Wembley towards the celebration, the pundits on ITV Sport were not so impressed, with Roy Keane – typically – delivering the bluntest of assessments.

Keane didn’t hold back – but then again, when doesn’t he? – in his criticism and said that the England defender’s celebration was ’embarrassing.’

“[He] puts his hands up to his ears,” exclaimed the Irishman.

“He’s like ‘shutting the critics up’. I think It’s embarrassing. He’s been a disgrace the last few months for Man Utd. He thinks if he scores there, he’s going to shut his critics up. Embarrassing.”

You get the impression that Keane really doesn’t rate Maguire at all.

Both Jermain Defoe and Ian Wright were also in agreement with Keane, with all three pundits calling for the centre-back to focus on his football and prove the doubters wrong that way rather than use celebrations to do so.

England have all but secured their place at the Qatar World Cup, but since Poland beat Andorra, it means they will have to wait until their final group game against minnows San Marino to mathematically secure their place at next year’s tournament.