Gareth Southgate insists England have a better chance of winning the World Cup with Harry Maguire.
Under-fire England defender Maguire is under huge pressure as he endures the worst spell of his career and is suffering a crisis of confidence. Maguire has lost his starting place at Manchester United, his mistakes led to two of Germany’s goals and there is a clamour among England fans to see him dropped.
But Southgate has backed his man to the hilt and insists he has the character to come through it and remains a key player if England are to succeed in Qatar this winter. When asked how important Maguire was to Southgate’s plans, the England boss said: “I know everybody says he’s important to me, he’s important to us! It’s us. It’s not me.
“Why do we pick him? Because he’s one of the players who gives us the best chance of winning. So really we should all be wanting a Harry Maguire that’s playing regularly and playing with confidence. That applies to of course quite a few players but he’s the one that everything lands on which must be a tough space for him really. But he’s showing tremendous character.
"I think he has got the character to get over this because he’s a boy that been from Sheffield United, to Hull City, he’s not one where everything has been smooth.
"Sometimes you get lads who, in the early part of their career, haven’t had to handle adversity and when it hits them, it’s harder to cope with. He’s like most of us really, in that he’s had lots of hurdles and that shapes your character.”
United boss Erik ten Hag dropped Maguire last month and has promised the £85m defender games before the World Cup and that he will rotate the team ahead of a busy fixture schedule. But so far, Maguire’s game time has been limited as he has started just one game - the Europa League defeat to Real Sociedad - after being dropped after United lost their opening two Premier League matches.
That is a major concern as Maguire will struggle to get his confidence and match sharpness back without games but Southgate is determined to stand by a defender who has been key to his progress in his six-year reign.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Maguire be axed by England? Let us know in the comments section
Southgate spoke to Maguire and reassured him before the United defender left Wembley on Monday night and plans to stay in regular contact but there is no question that he will definitely be in the England World Cup squad which is set to be named on Thursday, November 10.
Southgate has also insisted he maintained himself even during England’s nightmare run. He looked a different man after England’s thrilling draw with Germany and suddenly the mood has changed again in the build-up to the World Cup.
It was a far cry from Southgate looking as if he had the world on his shoulders after the defeat to Italy and on the back of their disastrous summer Nations League games. England are still six competitive games without a win - their worst run in history - but the fightback against Germany set a different tone and gave a timely reminder of the heady days of the last World Cup and last year’s Euros. The doubts will remain about Southgate’s long term future and whether he will see out his contract until December 2024.
But the fans have got some belief back, optimism has returned and a weight lifted from the players’ shoulders. Southgate is ready to be judged on what happens in Qatar.
Southgate said: “You can’t doubt yourself over a period of four or five games. If it was 20 or 30 games then that’s a bit different. I think the players have been through a lot and the psychology of it all is fascinating for us at the moment. Different expectations, different levels of experience in the group.
"Some young ones that are actually handling it brilliantly and some that are needing help and guidance. They will be thinking: ‘What is this?’ We have talked about how the shirt feels and they are experiencing for the first time a little bit what some of the older ones have been through in the past.
