Harry Maguire’s England team-mates have jumped to the defence of the Manchester United captain and rounded on the fans who booed him at Wembley on Tuesday night.
Maguire was booed when his name was read out over the tannoy and again when he first touched the ball in the 3-0 friendly win over Ivory Coast.
Gareth Southgate labelled fans jeering Maguire as “ludicrous” and “an absolute joke”, and his team-mates have also criticised the abuse of a player who played an important part in England reaching the semi-finals of the last World Cup and the final of the European Championship last year.
Maguire has endured a difficult season at Manchester United but Declan Rice described the reaction at Wembley as a “total embarrassment” and “absolute nonsense.”
Jack Grealish said the abuse was “ridiculous”, while Jordan Henderson made it clear that the England squad were unhappy with how their team-mate had been vilified.
Total embarrassment from whoever boo’d tonight. @HarryMaguire93 has been incredible every single time he’s put on the England shirt. Absolute nonsense now it’s becoming. Back your own players. Especially with a Major tournament coming up. https://t.co/OdqM9F0Uw8
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) March 29, 2022
Rice said on Twitter: “Total embarrassment from whoever booed tonight.
“Harry Maguire has been incredible every single time he’s put on the England shirt. Absolute nonsense now it’s becoming. Back your own players. Especially with a major tournament coming up.”
Henderson wrote: “I can’t get my head around what happened at Wembley.
“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 was just wrong.
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) March 29, 2022
“As someone who wants to win with England I feel fortunate to share a dressing room with him. We all feel the same!”
Grealish said: "Personally, I think it is ridiculous. Harry has been unbelievable for us in a World Cup and a European Championship and our first two goals tonight came from him.
"It was ridiculous for him to get booed and it wasn't something the team liked. You don't mind it off opposition fans, but not your own fans."
