Harry Maguire ignores boos as he reflects on ‘enjoyable week’ with England

Harry Maguire has reflected on an “enjoyable week” playing for England after being booed by home fans before the 3-0 win over the Ivory Coast at Wembley.

The reading out of the Manchester United defender’s name prompted jeers from sections of the English support, with Maguire playing all 90 minutes of the friendly.

His first touch of the ball also received boos.

It was a demonstration of displeasure described as “an absolute joke” by England manager Gareth Southgate, while it has also been criticised by Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice.

Tweeting on Wednesday morning, Maguire did not comment on the fans booing.

“Enjoyable week playing for my country,” the 29-year-old wrote, accompanying his message with a love heart and an English flag.

Maguire won his 42nd England cap in the comfortable victory over the Ivory Coast, a period that has included helping Southgate’s side to the Euro 2020 final and semi-finals of the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

“I don’t know how it benefits anybody. We’re either all in it together or we’re not,” Southgate said of the fans’ behaviour.

“I imagine if you asked a few of them why they did it they probably wouldn’t even be able to answer. It’s mob mentality. One end of the ground you have a hardcore group trying to get his name sung - it wasn’t everybody.

“Players will look at that and think, that could be me. It makes players not want to come. That happened with John Barnes here, that happened with Ashley Cole a couple of times, it happened with Raheem, now Harry.

“We need Harry to do well. We aren’t going to win a World Cup with a load of players with three or four caps. That’s never happened in the history of the game.”

The England manager added to Sky Sports: “The way he has performed for us has been absolutely phenomenal. I don’t get it.

“He’s in an England shirt and not only should you support a player in an England shirt regardless, but when you’ve played at the level he has for us - and put the performances in he has - it should be total commitment behind him.

“His performance was pretty faultless really. He stepped out from the back really well for the first goal, was involved in the second one too. The team are totally united. We recognise everyone has difficult moments, but he’s a top player and he will come through it.

“They are real England fans and some are influenced by whatever - social media or players that played previously who are influencing opinion. The club situation is obviously very difficult, but he’s in an England shirt.

“I remember decades ago a few players being booed in an England shirt and it’s never been acceptable to me. Fans should always get behind their team.”