Wayne Rooney has congratulated Harry Maguire on earning his 50th England cap in Friday’s World Cup goalless draw with the USA, calling it a “brilliant achievement”.
In a match where few failed to impress, the Manchester United captain was the standout performer. Maguire dealt with everything that was thrown at him and was often the one heading the ball away from danger.
The past year has been difficult for the 29-year-old. After facing heavy criticism amid last season’s woes, Maguire was kept on as Reds skipper by Erik ten Hag but has been dropped in favour of Lisandro Martinez.
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And amid Raphael Varane’s injury ahead of the World Cup, his boss often selected Victor Lindelof ahead of the centre-back, who sat out almost the entirety of October due to a knee injury picked up in the 3-3 Nations League draw with Germany in September.
It means he went into the World Cup with little game time but Gareth Southgate has kept his faith in him and has handed him starts in both group games so far. He has justified his selections, providing an assist for Bukayo Saka’s first goal against Iran before keeping a clean sheet against the USA.
Friday’s outing was a significant one, with Maguire reaching his half-ton for the Three Lions. Taking to Instagram after the stalemate with the Americans, he wrote: “Proud moment for me and my family last night, 50th @england appearance.
“I love my country and feel honoured every time I put that shirt on. Some great memories and excited to see what the future brings. Just a lad from Sheffield living the dream.” All-time England top scorer Rooney congratulated him on his feat in the comments below.
“Brilliant achievement mate and great performance tonight,” he wrote. England teammate Jude Bellingham also sent his praise, writing: “Congrats bro." United’s official Instagram account added: “More to come.”
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