11 October 2023 , 05:00
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Harry Maguire has revealed how David Beckham reached out to help him get through his recent struggles.
Maguire was given a torrid time by the Hampden Park crowd during England’s game against Scotland last month and Gareth Southgate then launched a furious attack on Maguire’s critics, labelling them ‘idiots’.
The Manchester United defender, 30, had to wait until last Saturday for his first Premier League start of the season and Erik ten Hag has made it clear Maguire is way down the defensive pecking order at Old Trafford. Ten Hag also took the club captaincy away from Maguire in the summer.
But Maguire’s tough time prompted Beckham to call with words of encouragement and advice. Maguire said: “I actually spoke with David about three weeks ago after the Scotland game - he got in touch with me so it was really nice of him and I really appreciated that.
“It meant everything. I’ve spoken throughout my career about David 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.
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"But he was a big role model when I was growing up. It shows how classy he is to reach out to me and to message me. It was something I really appreciated. It was touching really.”
And while their private chat remains private, it is clear Beckham urged Maguire to keep faith in himself and to always remind himself of what took him to United and to a stellar England career.
Harry Maguire was brutally mocked by the Scotland fans (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Maguire went on: “I don’t want to go too much into the conversation but 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.
“I think when you’re going through tough moments you’ve got to go through past experiences and past memories and where you’ve gone in your career and what you’ve been through.
“Every career is so up and down, especially when you reach what I’ve reached, in terms of being the captain of the biggest club in the world for three and a half years. He’s been in that position and knows what it’s like.”
Not surprisingly, Maguire has been engrossed in the Beckham documentary on Netflix, which has been widely acclaimed. Maguire said: “A lot of people are speaking about me at the moment but to see what he went through and the resilience he showed … I couldn’t believe how much he went through at the time.
“In the documentary, Gary Neville speaks about how resilient he is as a person. I think he’s been a huge role model for many footballers. He really inspired me.”
Maguire has also revealed a summer move to West Ham United was not an option for him, explaining: “It wasn’t agreed between both clubs so the actual opportunity wasn’t there because we didn’t get far enough down the line with it.”