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Manchester United legend Roy Keane has criticized Gareth Southgate for defending Harry Maguire after he was booed by England fans at Wembley.
The 29-year-old put up a good showing in England's 3-0 win in an international friendly against Ivory Coast on 29 March. They won against the 10-men Ivory Coast team at Wembley, courtesy of a goal each by Ollie Watkins, Raheem Sterling, and Tyrone Mings.
However, the Manchester United skipper was not welcomed by a section of fans at Wembley as they jeered him ahead of the match. England national team manager Southgate came to defend Maguire, saying that the booing was nothing but an 'absolute joke'.
Reacting to the issue, Manchester United legend Keane accused Southgate of 'double standards.' He said that the situation was blown out of proportion. Keane said that almost all the players get booed by the fans during rough patches in their professional careers.
Speaking to ITV, the Irishman said that those who booed Maguire were 'idiots.' However, he questioned Southgate for not defending Sterling as he defended Maguire. He said (via Metro):
"I think Gareth has made it a bigger story than what it is. Every player gets booed. There’s going to be idiots at football matches. England fans have got a lot of idiots. And if they’re going to boo Harry Maguire, I think Gareth could have easily said that it’s no big deal. He actually played well, just focus on that."
He further added:
"I think he’s made a bigger story than what it is. And Gareth is almost picking and choosing when to support his players. Raheem Sterling had a bust-up two or three years ago, he was bombed out of the squad. He’s left other players out. So I think Gareth’s made a bigger story than what it is. Just get on with the game."
Manchester United handed Edinson Cavani injury blow after Uruguay appearance
Manchester United have been handed an injury blow during the international break. Striker Edinson Cavani was subbed early in Uruguay's World Cup qualifier match against Chile on Tuesday night. The Uruguayan remains a doubt for Manchester United's Premier League match against Leicester City on Saturday.
Cavani was replaced by Luis Suarez in the first half of the game. He has had an injury-prone season so far which could eventually impact his chances of staying at Old Trafford.
