After the friendly match against the Scotland national team on September 13, central defender Harry Maguire of the England national team and Manchester United fell into depression.
Because during the 45 minutes he played on the pitch, he heard nothing but boos. However, a phone call from David Beckham, a senior member of the national team and his team, made him feel like he was ‘flying’.
On the 11th (Korean time), the British public broadcaster BBC attracted attention by releasing an interview with Manchester United and Three Lions (nickname for the England national team) defender Maguire. In an interview, Maguire praised Beckham, saying, “The phone call I received from Beckham after the Scotland game meant a lot to me. I am grateful that Beckham contacted me. It was a very classy action.”
Maguire was substituted at the start of the second half of the national team’s friendly match against Scotland last September. Every time he caught the ball and passed it, Scottish fans applauded.
It was not a compliment, but a sarcastic applause. Maguire ended up scoring an own goal in the game, putting a dent in the team’s 3-1 win. Maguire also could not avoid ridicule and criticism of his skills. Beckham also knows better than anyone else the pressure and public criticism he carries as a national team player, so his phone call was even more meaningful to Maguire.
David Beckham has also suffered from a lot of criticism and criticism from England fans. The England national team, which played in the round of 16 against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France, suffered from numerical inferiority after Beckham was sent off for tripping the leg of Diego Simeone, who was playing for the Argentina national team at the time, and was defeated and eliminated in a penalty shootout. The Falklands War between England and Argentina, which broke out in 1982, caused deep emotional rifts between the two countries. When Beckham was sent off and the England national team lost to Argentina, all arrows were pointed at Beckham. Beckham also said in his recently released documentary, “The whole country hated me,” and “I was ridiculed wherever I went. I was a mess.”
Maguire said, “I’ve always said that Beckham has been my idol since I was young,” and “I was very touched that (such an idol) gave me comfort.”
Maguire is a 30-year-old defender born in 1993. Beckham was at his peak in 1999 when he contributed to Manchester United’s first treble, so Maguire would have had no choice but to watch Beckham from the time he was a small child of 6 years old.
Maguire said, “Beckham advised me to look back on my own career. When you go through a difficult time, you have no choice but to rely on past memories and experiences to solve the problem. No player goes uphill steadily.” Maguire also received advice on becoming Manchester United captain from David Beckham, who served as Manchester United captain.
Maguire said, “I was the captain of Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, for three and a half years. Beckham also served as captain of Manchester United, so I was well aware of the pressure of that position.”
Maguire moved to Manchester United from Leicester City in 2019 for 80 million pounds (about 131 billion won), becoming the ‘world’s most expensive defender.’ After joining Manchester United, he took over as captain under former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020 and served as captain for three and a half years. However, he was not even guaranteed a chance to play when coach Eric Turnhag took over at Manchester United in 2022, and was stripped of his captain’s armband last summer, handing it to Bruno Fernandes.
Moreover, during last summer’s transfer market, rumors of a transfer to West Ham United sparked, and reports continued that he might pack up and leave Manchester United. However, the transfer ultimately fell through and Maguire was able to remain at Manchester United. Regarding the transfer, Maguire said in an interview, “Manchester United and I could not agree on a transfer to West Ham. Playing time is important. Although my playing time (at Manchester United) was low, I will fight and achieve it.”
Recently, Maguire is getting a chance to play again due to injuries to Manchester United’s players. He appeared as a starter in the match against Brentford in the 8th round of the 2023/24 English Premier League on the 8th and received favorable reviews for his good defensive performance.
Maguire made 10 of 12 long passes in the game, laying the foundation for the build-up and winning all aerial balls, earning a rating of 7.9 from Footmob, a platform specializing in soccer statistics. Among the 11 players who started for Manchester United, it was the second highest rating after Bruno Fernandez’s 8 points.레고토토
In addition, Scott McTominay contributed to winning the game by assisting in the game-winning goal scored in the 7th minute of extra time in the second half. It is a bonus that coach Eric Turnhag’s career has been extended. As revealed by multiple British media outlets on the 9th, coach Turnhag was informed that he would be sacked during the upcoming international match if he lost against Brentford. However, thanks to a thunderous assist from Maguire, McTominay scored a goal to seal a 2-1 win, so Turnhag’s position will remain unchanged for the time being.
“Things will change and I will continue to fight to get my job back,” Maguire said in an interview. According to ‘FourForTwo’, a soccer media outlet, on the 6th, Maguire was called by England national team coach Gareth Southgate and will once again play as a defender for the Three Lions in the upcoming international match period. Maguire and the England national team are scheduled to play a friendly match against Australia on the 14th and the 8th round of the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy on the 18th.