Harry Maguire England Nations League 2022Getty Images

'Please let Harry Maguire start': Former USMNT players taunt England defender ahead of World Cup showdown

  • Maguire blasted for performance vs. Germany
  • Calls for England to drop defender from squad
  • England take on USMNT in World Cup opener

WHAT HAPPENED? Harry Maguire's ever-growing list of critics goes way beyond his native England, with fans across the pond in the United States taunting the defender over his performance in Monday's 3-3 Nations League draw against Germany.

Even some former USMNT players piled on against the Manchester United player, whose presence in the national team has been called into question after being blamed for two of the three goals conceded by the Three Lions.

WHAT THEY SAID: "Please let Harry Maguire start against the USMNT in the World Cup," tweeted Jimmy Conrad, who played the 2006 World Cup with the United States.

Article continues below

"Harry Maguire... that's the avenue for success if you're the USMNT," added Herculez Gomez, a veteran of the 2010 World Cup.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Already under fire at both the club and national team level before Monday's disaster outing, Maguire did nothing to help his own cause and put Gareth Southgate in an even more uncomfortable position after the England manager publicly came to his defense ahead of the September international window.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Jimmy Conrad Harry Maguire tweetHerculez Gomez Harry Maguire tweetHarry Maguire Gareth Southgate EnglandGetty Images

WHAT'S NEXT FOR MAGUIRE: With his World Cup chances in question, Maguire now must face another difficult task: regaining his starting job at Manchester United. He's been relegated to the bench through much of the current Premier League season - which gets back underway Sunday against Manchester City.

Advertisement