“Sometimes, they are the individuals you want to go to battle with” – Ex-England international surprisingly defends Harry Maguire despite his forgetful display in Germany draw

Former England international Stuart Pearce has defended Manchester United star Harry Maguire following his lackluster showing against Germany in the UEFA Nations League. Pearce hailed the Englishman’s mentality for turning up for his team despite being under the microscope.

Looking to end their five-game winless run in the competition, England took on League A Group 3 rivals Germany in Nations League gameweek six on Monday night (September 26). The Three Lions failed to produce their best football at Wembley Stadium and ultimately settled for a 3-3 draw.

Maguire, who started the game, was one of England’s worst performers on the night, playing a part in two of Germany’s three goals. He fouled Jamal Musiala inside the box early in the second half, gifting the visitors a penalty, which Ilkay Gundogan converted (52nd minute). The Manchester United man also gave away possession cheaply 15 minutes later, leading to Kai Havertz’s goal.

Instead of tearing into the defender for his mistakes, Pearce commended him for not hiding, despite facing endless criticism. He said on talkSPORT:

“I think the kid [Harry Maguire] has got character. He has been under the microscope a fair bit for the last calendar year, potentially, I don’t know how long, I am not a social media buff."

He continued:

“Still, he puts himself out there, and he keeps going, and he does not go under. He has an injury late in the game, and he is at the halfway line going through a German player. Not to let his teammates down. Sometimes, they are the individuals you want to go to battle with.”

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England star Luke Shaw defends club teammate and compatriot Harry Maguire

Luke Shaw, who scored England’s opening goal in the 71st minute, also lauded Maguire’s mentality in a post-match interview on Monday. Shaw admitted that Maguire was struggling but urged fans to accept that he was an integral part of the England team.

Shaw said:

“Of course Harry is an amazing player, an amazing character. He has taken a lot of stick, probably more than I have ever seen before in football but he never hides away, he is always there."

The Manchester United left-back added:

“You can have people that can hide away and not want to be in the spotlight but he keeps putting himself in the spotlight and it shows the strength and character he has got because, come on, everyone knows that he is an unbelievable player.”

He concluded by saying:

“At the moment the confidence might not be there because it might feel like the whole world is against him, it is tough for him but us as players, staff we are all behind him because he is a very important player and it shows Gareth’s trust that he has played in both games. Look at the Euros and what he has done, people need to understand he is a big part of the England team and they have to accept it.”