Donny van de Beek has launched a defence of teammate Harry Maguire after the Manchester United captain was inexplicably booed during their comfortable 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Early in the pre-season friendly, Maguire's every touch was met with jeers from some of the 80,000 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. After putting in an assured display and keeping a clean sheet during the 66 minutes in which he featured, the 29-year-old received Van de Beek's backing, as he praised Maguire's performance.
"I heard [the boos] as well," the Dutchman, who assisted Marcus Rashford 's fine goal to make it 2-0 early in the second half, admitted post-match. "I don't know really what happened. Today, Harry was playing really well. He was aggressive, got so many balls - that means he has a big personality. He has a lot of experience. That's positive, his performance today."
