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LONDON (Reuters) – England manager Gareth Southgate jumped to Harry Maguire’s defense after the Manchester United defender was sent off 32 minutes after England’s 1-0 defeat to Denmark in the Nations League. at Wembley on Wednesday.
Maguire, whose off-field woes and the club’s poor form have put his place in the spotlight, received a second yellow card for a tackling tackle on Kasper Dolberg after being booked for a worse challenge on Yussuf Poulsen.
He left England to play for a neat Danish team for over an hour with 10 men, a task made even more difficult when Christian Eriksen scored a penalty for the visitors minutes later.
“The first yellow was a challenge he didn’t need to do and it made him nervous,” said Southgate, whose team hit the dirt with a bump after Sunday’s win over Belgium.
“The second is an interception. He’s a great player and a big part of what we do. He has a lot of clubs in his way, he has our full support.
“He just needs the assurance that we totally believe in him. He’s had to deal with all sorts of people and some people who should know better. When you’re a little older, you can rationalize it and move on.”
Maguire received a 21-month suspended jail sentence in a trial on the Greek island of Syros in August after being convicted of assault and attempted bribery after being arrested while on vacation in Mykonos.
The 27-year-old was granted a full retrial after appealing the convictions and played in United’s first three games of the Premier League season, including a 6-1 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the last game before the international break.
“He has had setbacks, but his profile has changed in recent years because of the club he plays for and the success he has had with us,” Southgate said.
“You have to keep going and the tide will turn.”
It was an undisciplined night for England with Reece James sent off after the final whistle for facing the referee, erasing his copybook after an impressive full debut.
Chelsea’s James became the first player sent off in his first international outing for England.
England have had three players sent off in the current Nations League campaign.
“That is a lesson he has to learn. He had an incredible debut, he has impressed me all week. Up until that point he had shown great maturity,” Southgate said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, edited by Ed Osmond)
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