“He’s Half a Man Now”: Antonio Says Maguire Should Have Moved to West Ham to Restart Career

• Harry Maguire is a man under fire of criticism right now after his own goal for England
• Maguire turned down a move to West Ham despite the Hammers having a bid accepted
• A West Ham star has come in his defence but thinks he should have left Old Trafford

West Ham star Michail Antonio has come in defence of embattled Harry Maguire following the heat of criticisms after scoring an own goal against Scotland.

Maguire has been in the whirlwind of criticisms since his world-record fee for a defender £80m move from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019, surpassing Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for £75m.

He was named United's captain six months into his Old Trafford career by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but was stripped by Erik ten Hag before the new season.

As reported by The Athletic, Maguire rejected a move to West Ham over failure to agree on personal terms, despite both clubs agreeing on a fee of £30m and despite clearly being told he'd see fewer minutes.

Manchester City star used to work at bakery 4 years ago

Football

Antonio defends Maguire

West Ham forward Michail Antonio has come in defence of the embattled defender, labelling the criticisms as going too far, but thinks the English star should have decided his future differently in the summer.

"He’s half a man now. He’s trying to stay strong, he’s trying to rebuild himself and he had opportunities to leave and opportunities to come to us, but he believes in his ability, but it’s not working for him," the Jamaican said on Footballer’s Football Podcast.

"Honestly, I would’ve [moved to West Ham]. I would’ve wanted the clean slate for myself. I would’ve wanted to move away, start again and to rebuild myself because people on his back are his own fans. So, for him to build himself again with a clean slate.

"At West Ham, everyone knows about him, everyone knows what he’s going through. We would’ve tried to build him up and give him that fresh start. Nobody has spoken up for him, I have on this podcast. He should be getting more backing. Someone needs to help."

Former Premier League star slams "absolutely useless" Chelsea player after Forest defeat

Football

The 33-year-old is not the only one to launch a defence for the former Hull City defender; his mom, Zoe Maguire, has also come out to defend his son.

Maguire explains failed West Ham move

Sports Brief reported that Maguire explained his decision to stay at Manchester United and not move to East London despite an agreement reached between clubs.

He cited a lack of personal agreement as the reason for the collapsed move, adding that United were happy for him to stay and fight for his place in the team.