England Players Condemn Fans For Booing Harry Maguire During Friendly

England defender Harry Maguire has had a tough go in recent years.

The Manchester United captain has fallen out of favor with the team’s fanbase due to his rapid decline in production, and that sentiment appears to be shared by England fans, as well.

During England’s friendly against Ivory Coast this week, Harry Maguire was booed by the fans when his name was called out pre-match, and then again when he got his first touch.

“The reception was a joke, an absolute joke,” England manager Gareth Southgate said after the 3-0 win via The Athletic.“I don’t know how it benefits anybody. We’re either all in it together or we’re not.

“I imagine if you asked a few of them why they did it they probably wouldn’t even be able to answer. It’s mob mentality. One end of the ground you have a hardcore group trying to get his name sung — it wasn’t everybody.

“Players will look at that and think, that could be me. It makes players not want to come. It has happened in the past with John Barnes.“We need Harry to do well. We aren’t going to win a World Cup with a load of players with three or four caps. That’s never happened in the history of the game.”

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson added: “I can’t get my head around what happened at Wembley tonight.

“Harry Maguire has been a colossus for England. Without him, the progress made at the last two tournaments would not have been possible.

“To be booed at his home stadium, for no reason? What have we become? What happened tonight was just wrong. As someone who wants to win with England I feel fortunate to share a dressing room with him. We all feel the same.”

Jack Grealish also bashed any England fan who decided to boo Harry Maguire prior to their game.

“He’s been a fantastic servant for his country and it’s ridiculous for him to get booed. It wasn’t something the team liked,” said Grealish.

“Harry is a strong-minded person. His performance tonight will have done him the world of good. It will only spur him on. It’s not nice to hear but you’ve got a job to do.”

After more players around the team and beyond went to bat for him, Harry Maguire took the high road on social media.

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Enjoyable week playing for my country 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️ pic.twitter.com/8oHZiOlhpe

— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) March 30, 2022

Hopefully fans treat Harry Maguire better in the coming games leading up to the World Cup.

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