.png)
Roy Keane has been told he gets 'too personal' when criticising Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.
United failed to qualify for the Champions League this season and limped to a sixth place finish with their worst-ever Premier League points tally.
Advert
Maguire is club captain and perhaps the most criticised player in the team, by fans and pundits alike.
Keane has been scathing in his analysis of Maguire on Sky Sports and ITV this campaign and Gabby Agbonlahor thinks it goes too far.
"Pundits like Roy Keane, who really come for players like Maguire a bit too personally for my liking, and then everyone feels that what Keane says is how it should be," the former Aston Villa striker vented on talkSPORT.
Advert
"Then people have made decisions on Maguire because of what pundits like Keane say."
Maguire was in and out of the team towards the end of the season and was left on the bench for a crucial top four clash with Arsenal.
Agbonlahor would go on to claim Maguire is still United's best defender, ahead of centre back partners Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof.
"So I think that he gets a lot of stick that he doesn't deserve. He's Manchester United's best defender," he continued.
Advert
"You look at Varane and Lindelof and they have both been very poor this season and as a country we should be getting behind our players not booing them and not trying to put them off their game."
The abuse Maguire receives has got extremely personal.
He was booed by England fans inside Wembley during a friendly against Ivory Coast earlier this year and he was publicly backed by manager Gareth Southgate.
Advert
A sickening bomb threat was sent to the 29-year-old's home in April and Cheshire Police opened an investigation.
It's claimed the messaged told Maguire to 'Quit Manchester United or die.'
Maguire opened up about the incident for the first time earlier this week and admitted: "Obviously I'm in a position where I'm going to be criticised.
"United paid a large sum of money for me and I totally accept criticism when we concede goals or make mistakes.
Advert
"But there is a line where we are human beings. I do have a family. People ask if it affects me. My mentality is that it doesn't affect me too much but when it comes to bomb threats, it is more about family.
"My wife Fern, I'm just happy my kids are at an age where they don't read things and see things on the news. If my kids were older, they could see things and go to school and people are speaking about it. That is when it affects you a little bit more.
"United are one of the most loved clubs in the world and also one of the most hated in the world. We're under the most scrutiny."
Maguire joined United from Leicester City in 2019 for £80 million, a world record fee for a defender.
He was then named captain in January 2020 following Ashley Young's departure for Inter Milan.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports & AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Harry Maguire, Roy Keane
