Mikel Arteta agrees with Brendan Rodgers about Manchester United captain Harry Maguire

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has questioned some England fans' decision to boo Manchester United captain Harry Maguire during the Three Lions' 3-0 win over the Ivory Coast on Tuesday evening.

Maguire was subjected to booing from Three Lions fans at Wembley, which prompted manager Gareth Southgate to hit out at those involved, describing them as a "joke." Despite his questionable form for United this term, the centre-back has been excellent for the Three Lions in recent seasons, playing a key role in their runs to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of last summer's European Championship.

The former Sheffield United man was in formidable form during both tournaments, justifying Southgate's faith in him. But for United this season, Maguire has produced a string of underwhelming performances and has been forced to withstand a wave of criticism throughout the season at Old Trafford.

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However, Gunners chief Arteta — who will watch his side face United in a crucial top-four battle later this month — has questioned what use it was to boo Maguire. While he accepted that football supporters are entitled to voice their opinions, he highlighted how that is not going to help the United skipper get his career back on track.

Arteta, speaking during his press conference on Thursday, said: "Obviously they have the freedom to express what they want but if you ask anyone related to football how you are going to get the best out of a player, obviously it is totally against any odds that the player is going to improve if he gets booed.

"That is something I think we would all agree: you want the best for your team, the best for your national