By “mocking” England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on Sky Sports, Roy Keane acknowledges that he “crossed the line.”
It’s easy to forget that Maguire has endured harsh criticism for a large portion of his Old Trafford career, especially considering how great of a shock his exclusion from England’s Euro 2024 squad was.
Though he acknowledges he went too far by “mocking” Maguire on Sky Sports following a game, Keane has frequently criticized the player’s performances for the faltering Red Devils.
The former captain of Manchester United says he’s sorry to Maguire for going too far in his criticism when he was a pundit.
“I was harsh on Harry Maguire,” Keane said on the Sky Bet-sponsored Stick to Football program.
“You want to limit it to football-related matters, and it goes without saying that we cover a lot of Manchester United games,” he said at the time.
However, you also have to consider the players’ mental health, and I undoubtedly went too far 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 apologized 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.’