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England defender Harry Maguire is shown a “lack of respect” by the media, according to Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira.
As reported by BBC Sport, the Eagles boss says the media also disrespect other players in the England squad.
Maguire makes England World Cup squad
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Maguire was named in Gareth Southgate’s England 2022 World Cup squad earlier this week. He is one of nine defenders on the 26-man list.
His call-up comes despite a lack of playing time in recent months. Maguire has made just nine appearances for Manchester United this season.
Four of those have come in the Premier League, with four coming in the Europa League and one coming in the recent League Cup match against Aston Villa.
Despite this, Southgate has called Maguire up to the England World Cup squad. The manager has since come under fire for the decision.
And fellow manager Vieira has shared his thoughts on the situation, saying: “I think sometimes you guys [the media] show a lack of respect to Maguire and to some of the players who have been selected in the national team.”
Players will ‘benefit’ from Maguire in the squad
Vieira continued by saying that the entire England team will benefit from having a player like Maguire in the squad. He believes the centre-back offers both quality and personality that will be useful at the World Cup.
“Maguire is a top player who has a really strong character,” said Vieira.
“Sometimes you can play well and sometimes you can play badly, but that doesn’t take away the quality that he has and the personality that he has.
“The England national team will benefit from that.”
No room for Crystal Palace man in England squad
While Maguire made the cut, there was no room in the final 26-man England squad for Marc Guehi.
The centre-back has impressed for Crystal Palace in recent seasons. His club form was rewarded with an England call-up earlier this year.
Guehi made his Three Lions debut in a 2-1 friendly win against Switzerland in March. He now has three England caps to his name.
But he hasn’t made the most recent squad. Southgate opted instead for the likes of Conor Coady, Eric Dier and John Stones. Also included are Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier. And both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben White made the cut.
“Regarding Marc, what he had to do is to keep being consistent with his performances,” said Vieira.
“Marc, if you compare him to Maguire, [the difference is] Maguire knows [things] at international level which Marc doesn’t know yet.
“The manager has to make a decision about what he wants for that tournament. Again, Marc, or anybody else, should respect that decision and make a judgement at the end of the tournament.
“The manager knows the player better than we do. The manager knows what he wants from players and how he wants to play the game.
“The nation has to trust, believe, and be behind the manager. Then, when the tournament is finished, everybody can express their opinion.”
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