David Beckham offers Harry Maguire advice on how to battle supporter abuse
Harry Maguire has thanked David Beckham for reaching out to him and offering advice on how to handle abuse, saying that the words from the former England captain ‘meant everything’ to him.
Maguire has had a torrid time over the last couple of years, struggling for form and losing his place in the Manchester United team under Erik ten Hag.
The centre-back has continued to be picked by England manager Gareth Southgate, but that has not come without problems as he has been booed by Three Lions fans and ironically cheered by opposition.
Maguire returns to Manchester United starting XI
The 30-year-old has continued plugging away without complaint, and returned to the Red Devils starting XI at the weekend in a 2-1 win over Brentford, but it has unquestionably been a horribly difficult time for him.
The Yorkshireman revealed that Beckham got in touch to help him through the difficult spell, with the United icon knowing full well about dealing with abuse himself.
Beckham’s experience helps Maguire
Beckham’s recent Netflix documentary recounted the intense criticism he received after being sent off for England against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, so his words of experience for Maguire were of great help.
‘I actually spoke with David about three weeks ago after the Scotland game,’ said Maguire. ‘He got in touch with me so it was really nice of him and I really appreciated that. If you watch the documentary David explains a lot of how he dealt with it.’
‘It meant everything. I’ve spoken about David Beckham being someone I looked up to and watched when I was a young boy. Unfortunately I didn’t end up on the right wing scoring and assisting as many goals as he has. But he was a big role model when I was growing up. It shows how classy he is to reach out and message me. It was something I really appreciate. It was touching.’
‘The main thing he did is he reminded me of the career I’ve had to date and the big moments I’ve had in my career. When you’re going through tough moments you’ve got to go through past experiences and where you’ve gone in your career.’
Conclusion
It is great to see David Beckham reaching out to Harry Maguire and offering him advice on how to handle abuse. Beckham’s experience in dealing with similar situations makes his words invaluable to Maguire, and it is clear that his words have had an impact on the Manchester United defender.
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