Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince called Harry Maguire a leader and said England offering him protection in the form of Declan Rice is why the defender performs better for the Three Lions.
Maguire was left out of England's starting line-up over the weekend in their 2-1 victory over Switzerland, but he started against Ivory Coast tonight, only for sections of the Wembley crowd to jeer his name and his first touches. The Reds' captain responded with a fine performance - his pass to Ollie Watkins helping to create Raheem Sterling's goal in a 3-0 victory.
Manager Gareth Southgate spoke about the difficulty the defender has had to endure at club level but noted that he's always been one of England's better performers especially in major tournaments where he has started in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and Euro 2020 final - England losing both games on penalties.
READ MORE: Gareth Southgate tells Manchester United's Harry Maguire how to silence doubters
United often shape up with Fred and Scott McTominay sitting in front of the defence but neither are specialist holding midfielders and the duo can often be found wanting against the better sides not only in Europe but in the Premier League. When representing his country, Maguire usually has Rice, Kalvin Phillips or Jordan Henderson screening in front of him which often limits how often the former Leicester City defender gets exposed.
Ince acknowledged that in one-on-one situations, Maguire struggles. But the ex-United star praised Maguire for not hiding from his responsibilities as a player and said that he was surprised the United captain was not chosen to lead his national team out at Wembley Stadium.
"Gareth Southgate has a lot of faith in him, a lot of trust in him," Ince said on Sky Sports. "I was surprised he wasn’t actually captain today. Yes, he’s had a tough time at Old Trafford at the moment but who’s not? He doesn’t get the protection that a centre-half should get with Fred and McTominay, here he does get it with Declan Rice.
"If he gets isolated, we’ve seen it can be a problem for him. But, for me, he’s a leader and never shirks his responsibilities and he’s done ever so well for England. Gareth trusts in him, he knows he’s a leader. Declan talked about leaders out on the pitch and he’s [Maguire] another one."
Maguire was on hand to help set up England's second goal of the night as his side entered the half-time break two goals up and former Tottenham Hotspur defender Michael Dawson backed Maguire to recapture the form which saw him move from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019.
"Every game is important. I think him and John Stones are our number one and two [in defence]. He has to find the form that we saw in 2018 and in the Euros last summer. We know, if you’re struggling as a defender then the team tends to struggle too. It’s that simple.
"When he comes away with England with the freedom to go and perform, whenever he plays he has never let this country down. He knows he’s a big player for England. He’s been magnificent in both boxes, scoring goals for England. Gareth will give him all the confidence and he knows how important he is. Him, Declan Rice, Raheem Sterling, any of them could have been captain tonight."
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