England midfielder Kalvin Phillips has backed team-mate Harry Maguire as the much-maligned centre-half prepares for the ultimate World Cup quarter-final test against France on Saturday
England midfielder Kalvin Phillips has backed platoon- mate Harry Maguire as the important- maligned centre- half prepares for the ultimate World Cup quarter-final test against France on Saturday. Manchester United protector Maguire has started just three games in the Premier League this season due to a combination of injury and the appearance of Argentine Lisandro Martinez, but has been solid so far for England in Qatar, where he has started every game. It marks a stark reversal in fortunes for Maguire, who came the butt of numerous jokes on social media after a bad run of form last season.
Phillips said Thursday he believes much of the Maguire mockery is wrong.
“I know Harry Maguire has not played as important football this season as he presumably would have liked this season and he does get a lot of stick, which I suppose is veritably undeserved,” Phillips told a news conference.
“I suppose he is a top professional and a great footballer and all you have to do is watch England in major events and when he plays for Manchester United, I suppose, he is one of the stylish protectors and I suppose for England he is been one of the top protectors for a long time and especially in event position,” he added.
Phillips feels Maguire, who’s over against France’s record goalscorer Olivier Giroud on Saturday, is a player that England can calculate on.
“He is always been that player that when we have got set pieces or when we need to block or when anybody needs to make a challenge, he is always the first one to do it.
“And he is always the first one to get his head to the ball. Obviously, he is scored some veritably important pretensions as well,” he said.
“I suppose a lot ofpeople.because, he is been obviously mocked quite a lot the once many times, I suppose he is just the first bone they go to if anything bad happed in the England platoon, he would be the first one for anything to be said about.
“It’s veritably undeserved. And, like I said, I suppose if you look at the major events he is played in and how well he is done also, you can not really mock him because he is been unthinkable,” Phillips added.
The Manchester City midfielder also had plenitude of praise for his platoon- mate and Maguire’s central protective mate John monuments.
“I believe that John is one of the stylish centre- halves in the world right now.
“I am not just saying that because he is with England or he is my friend or plays for Manchester City. I authentically believe that- he’s one of the stylish centre halves in the game at this moment in time. He is veritably composed on the ball, one of the stylish central protectors you could have distributing the ball.
“His cooperation with Harry is an amazing cooperation as well- they understand each other so well and feed off each other, help each other out. As of now, it’s presumably the stylish centre- half cooperation in the World Cup” Read More News….
