Roy Keane admits he ‘crossed the line’ by ‘mocking’ Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire on Sky Sports.
Given Maguire’s absence for England at Euro 2024 was seen as a real blow, it is easy to forget he has been the subject of stinging criticism for much of his Old Trafford career.
Keane has often criticised Maguire’s performances for the struggling Red Devils but admits he took it too far by ‘mocking’ the player on Sky Sports after a match.
The ex-Manchester United captain says he apologised to Maguire after ‘crossing the line’ with his criticism as a pundit.
‘I was harsh on Harry Maguire,’ Keane said on the Stick to Football show, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘You hope to keep it to footballing reasons and obviously we cover a lot of Manchester United matches and he was struggling at the time.
‘But you also think about the mental health of players and I definitely crossed the line with Maguire.
‘I remember one time I kind of mocked him a little bit and that is definitely out or order. I crossed the line and listen, I played the game, I know it’s not easy.
‘But I’m also big enough that I apologised to him. Sometimes we pundits get it wrong too.’
Maguire was named in Gareth Southgate’s provisional England squad for the Euros but missed out on the final 26-man party due to injury.
His replacement in the team, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, has impressed in Germany but England’s form in general has been a concern.
The Three Lions face Slovakia for a place in the quarter-finals after beating Serbia and drawing with Denmark and Slovenia in an underwhelming group stage.
After being ruled out of the Euros due to injury, Maguire said: ‘I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer.
‘Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted. For me, representing England is the highest honour.
‘It means everything to me. If I can’t help the team as a player, I will support them as a fan – along with the rest of the country. Go and win it boys.
‘Next, I will return to the supervision of the Manchester United medical team in order to prepare for next season.’
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