HARRY MAGUIRE has apologised in England “mistakes”Following his latest gaffes of last night.
Gareth Southgate, however, has promised to support the errant defender until he is a permanent member of the team “untenable”.
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Maguire was responsible for Germany’s first two goals in the 3-3 draw. The Manchester United ace took to Instagram after the chaos and admitted his mistakes.
He wrote: “Mistakes were part of the game. I apologise.
“Great fight back by the boys. They have the spirit and will to get us back on the field.
“Take the positives and look forward to Qatar. The tough times will make us stronger.”
Southgate, 52 years old, said that players had held clear-the-air discussions behind closed doors prior to their thrilling Nations League comeback against Germany at Wembley.
Three goals in 12 minutes by Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Harry Kane gave the Three Lions victory 3-2 before Nick Pope’s late howler ended their win.
Defender Maguire made mistakes for the visitors’ first two strikes, including bringing down Jamal Musiala for a penalty after the break.
England now head to the winter World Cup in Qatar on a competitive six-game winless run — the worst in their history.
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Southgate said: “I know everybody will focus on Harry Maguire. This is going to continue to be a topic of debate.
“In these moments, we have to back our best and most experienced players unless we are in a situation where it is almost untenable and impossible to pick them.
“I have to accept there will be huge amounts of noise around individual selections but if I am going to be wishy-washy and change my mind, then it is pointless of me doing it.”
Reece James, the Defender, backed Maguire & Pope. He said: “When you are playing and make a mistake you are experienced enough to know you made a mistake, so you don’t need to be told.
“Harry has not been playing too much this season. He is finding his rhythm and we are aware of the quality he possesses.
It’s just a minor bump in the road. We will be ready for the World Cup when it arrives.
Reece James
“It is a little slip-up and I am sure they will bounce back and be stronger.
“This is just a bump in the road and going into the World Cup when we arrive we will be ready to play.”
Goals from Ilkay Gundogan from the spot and Kai Havertz’s curler put Germany ahead before Shaw — England’s first in open play for 521 minutes — and sub Mount replied.
Kane converted from the spot in the 83rd minute thanks to a VAR check after Nico Schlotterbeck’s foul on Jude Bellingham.
Skipper Kane is now two goals off Wayne Rooney’s England goalscoring record of 53.
The striker, who admitted the errors cost the Three Lions dear, said: “The fight and mentality in the team was shown out there.
“The boys have been under pressure. We all have with the recent results and we all came out here today with a point to prove. This will put us in a positive mindset.”
Kane was part the senior group that approached Southgate after Friday’s defeat to Italy 1-0 in Milan.
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Southgate explained: “Some of the more senior players have been outstanding.
“They asked for a meeting on their own to talk things through. That was a great sign for me. A core group of players drives the best football teams.
“To have the right sort of messages filtering through to the group to keep people on track is crucial. We must remain calm.
“We have been through times like this before but they are all learning together. It is important to stick to what you do.
“You will have pressure in a World Cup. It might be in a team game or in a quarterfinal. It is better to feel it and learn how it feels.
“We have to improve but we weren’t going to rip things up overnight. We believe in what our team is doing, regardless of whether others agree with us. That was the view of the players.
“You can talk about spirit when things are going well but the true test is through adversity.”
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