West Ham striker Michail Antonio says football fans have gone ‘too far’ regarding Harry Maguire and that their abuse of the England defender is ‘actually quite embarrassing’.
Maguire fell down the pecking order at Manchester United and lost his captaincy at the club earlier this summer. However, he has managed to keep his place in the England squad.
Gareth Southgate’s decision to select Maguire frustrated many fans and the 30-year-old’s own goal against Scotland in their international friendly on Tuesday added fuel to the fire.
Scotland supporters interrupted Maguire’s every touch after he was introduced for Marc Guehi at half-time and continued to hurl abuse at the Manchester United defender after the match.
Antonio felt the abuse towards Maguire was unfair and jumped to the defense of the man who came close to signing for West Ham during the summer transfer window.
West Ham’s Michail Antonio says fans have gone ‘too far’ regarding Harry Maguire
Maguire came into action against Scotland at half-time and scored an unfortunate own goal (above)
Gareth Southgate described Maguire after the match as a ‘tower of strength’ for England
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Speaking of the way the fans treat Maguire on the Football podcast for football playersAntonio said: ‘It’s gone way too far – it’s actually embarrassing.
‘I’ve never seen this in football, how one person can be absolutely destroyed if he does something wrong, (even if) it’s not his fault and he’s just involved.
‘People forget that people are human and obviously this will affect them mentally. He went from being an incredible centre-half, I think one of the best in the Premier League when he was at Hull and Leicester, to half a man.
‘He’s trying to stay strong, rebuild himself. He believes in his abilities. It’s just not working for him right now. When I saw Gareth Southgate speak I thought ‘well done’. It should have been brought up earlier. It’s been a whole two years.’
Maguire came close to a loan move to West Ham during the summer transfer window, but a deal fell through after Man United decided they were no longer interested in a temporary deal.
They were open to a permanent departure but decided against a temporary deal with the Hammers. If a deal was reached, Maguire would play alongside Antonio at the London Stadium.
Maguire (right) showed his appreciation for the traveling England fans who supported him
Antonio’s comments came briefly. Southgate defended Maguire. The England manager said: ‘He was exceptional for us this weekend (in the 1-1 draw against Ukraine). Tonight’s response is the result of idiots on our part who created this environment.
“So what I thought was brilliant tonight was that our fans who were here recognized that they were going to protect their own fans. We should do that. We are creating a problem for our own player. Some of the articles that were written, some of the comments that were made, were a complete joke.
‘He’s been a huge force for us during one of the most successful periods in English football and the reaction tonight – I understand the Scottish fans, they’re having fun – but it’s created by our own side, it’s ridiculous.’
Southgate continued his strong defense of Maguire at the post-match press conference, adding: ‘From the Scotland fans’ point of view I understand and I have absolutely no complaints about what they did.
‘Frankly, it is a result of the ridiculous treatment of him over a long period of time. I think our fans recognized it: ‘Okay, there might be a little warmth from our own supporters, but we won’t have it if others get involved with him.’ But it’s a joke.
‘I have never seen a player treated like he did. Not by the Scottish fans, by our own commentators, pundits, whatever it is. They have created something beyond anything I have ever seen. He has been an absolute pillar for us in the second most successful English team for decades. He has been an absolutely important part of that.
“I have spoken about the importance of our senior players, he has been crucial in that. Every time he goes on the pitch, the resilience he shows, the balls he shows, is absolutely incredible. So he is a top player and we are all behind him. And our fans were great with him tonight.”
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers believes criticism of the former Manchester United captain has been ‘created by his own club supporters and has spilled over to other supporters’.
“It’s sad what it’s made of,” he added. ‘I think it’s a real shame. He’s a good guy and clearly a top class player. He is strong, mentally strong and will prove for the rest of his career that he is a very good player.
“I know that when you’ve worked with him, when you need someone by your side when things are tough, you want him next to you. You need resilience to succeed at the highest level in a game with so many opinions.
‘It’s the world we’re in. You have to ignore the noise, you have to keep yourself away from it. Otherwise it will be a challenge for you.’