England boss Gareth Southgate retains faith in ‘cult hero’ Harry Maguire

Gareth Southgate retains faith in “cult hero” Harry Maguire’s ability to compete at the highest level as the under-fire Manchester United captain prepares to line up in Tuesday’s friendly against Ivory Coast.

The Three Lions kicked off World Cup preparations with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win in Saturday’s friendly against Switzerland at Wembley, where they return to take on non-European opposition for the first time since 2018.

Southgate is planning widespread changes as England and Ivory Coast meet in a senior international for the first time, with Maguire among those set to start under the arch.

The 29-year-old has struggled for form during a difficult season as a collective at United but the Three Lions boss has always kept faith with the centre-back.

“I hope we have an environment that all the players feel they can be the best versions of themselves,” Southgate said. “A lot of that is credit to the environment they have created.

“We have got super characters. I am looking at the young players coming in, the older players are all sitting with them at meal times, making them feel relaxed and at ease.

“Then there’s clarity on your job, on the pitch, what’s expected of you. I think they are things we have to achieve to let people perform at the best level.

“In terms of selection, that’s always a difficult conundrum because we’ve got players who we know have performed well in an England shirt.

“There’s got to be some level of scrutiny on how people are playing with their clubs because that has got to be a factor in it.

“Then, not so for this week, who is the opponent, who is best suited to playing against the opponent, so it is a complicated thing.

“I know everybody has a view on who we should and shouldn’t be picking.