Harry Maguire Ridiculed, Gareth Southgate Furious: It's A Joke!

England manager Gareth Southgate. (Photo; Twitter/@England)

JAKARTA - England's manager Gareth Southgate was furious with the ridicule directed at defender Harry Maguire. He called it a joke.

Southgate criticized the continuous criticisms that befell the Manchester United defender.

Maguire made his 59th appearance at international level when he appeared as a substitute when England won 3-1 over Scotland in Glasgow in a friendly match, Tuesday, September 12.

But Maguire's appearance was tainted with an own goal. Inevitably it became a fan material to criticize the player.

"This is a joke. I never knew a player was treated like that, not by Scottish fans, by our own commentators, pundit, anyone else," Southgate was quoted as saying by AFP via Antara.

"They created something that surpassed anything I've ever seen," he added.

For Southgate, Maguire remains a valuable figure in his squad. "He was a supporter for us in England's second most successful team during the decade. He was a key part of it," said the former Middlesbrough coach.

When asked how Maguire was doing after the game, Southgate replied, "He was good, he performed well. We got a good win, he was a big part of it," he concluded.