Harry Kane has leaped to the defence of England team-mate Harry Maguire amid a stiff backlash over recent criticism of the defender.
The Bayern Munich striker, who will line up against Maguire's Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday night, said much of the abuse the centre back gets is "unnecessary" and claimed he was being "scapegoated". He also labelled Maguire one England's best ever defenders and insisted the entire Three Lions squad was in his corner.
"I think H [Harry Maguire] has come under some really unnecessary scrutiny, probably been scapegoated a little bit in terms of the way the team have gone," Kane told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday. "He is a really good friend of mine, a great guy, a hard working professional."
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He added: "From an England point of view he has been one of our best defenders in the history of our country in an England shirt. Knowing him all he will want to do is work harder and improve. I know the coach has come out and backed him.
"We're fully behind him as a national team. In football you play against friends sometimes. Tomorrow night the friendship is briefly put aside as everyone wants to win for his team."
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Maguire has been subjected to torrents of abuse ever since his form nosedived in 2021. He lost his place in United's first team last year but England boss Gareth Southgate, whose comments following his side's 3-1 win over Scotland last week sparked the backlash against Maguire's critics, has kept faith in him in spite of mounting pressure to drop the former Leicester man.
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Such is United's injury crisis that there's a chance Maguire could step toe-to-toe with Kane at the Allianz Arena tomorrow night (Wednesday, September 20), though Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have started the last two games at centre back and are expected to do the same against Bayern.
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