Stay Boyong Harry Maguire Despite His Performance In Question, National Team Coach Gareth Southgate: He's The Greatest Bek In The UK

JAKARTA - England coach Gareth Southgate has firmly brought Harry Maguire to his squad despite his performance at Manchester United (MU) in doubt. The decision was questioned by many parties.

The reason is, Maguire's performance in the Red Devils is not too flashy. Since the consecutive defeats against Brighton and Brentford at the start of the 2022/2023 season, Maguire has never even been a starter.

Reflecting on his performance in the team, a call emerged for Maguire not to be played when the England national team faced Italy in the UEFA Nations League match which was held at the San Siro Stadium, Milan on Saturday, September 24, 2022.

But Southgate did the opposite. Instead, he said that the MU player was still one of England's best defenders.

"You always have to support your judgment and we feel he is an important player," Southgate said, quoted by The Sun.

"If we think there are experienced players who are ready to enter and play at the level above, then there will be different considerations and in some positions there will be different levels of competition in that way."

"He (Harry Maguire) is our most dominant centre-back," Southgate said.

Since United's loss to Brentford, Maguire has only played 101 minutes under the direction of a new manager. When the Red Devils won at home 3-1 to Arsenal, Maguire also only played as a substitute, as did two games in the Europa League.

Regarding Maguire's position in the team, Southgate has its own views. He said the defender's condition in the team was not ideal, but everything would go according to time.

"Look, obviously, this is not an ideal situation. You want your best players to play regularly so they are physically in a good place and mentally in a good place but it takes time," Southgate said.

"But he is an important player for us. I think it's important to support our best players."