Former Man United captain Rooney defends current skipper Maguire amid assault conviction

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has found himself at the centre of a postseason controversy after his arrest last week for an incident at a night club in Mykonos. On Tuesday, the 27-year-old was handed a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days after he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer, attempted bribery and other charges. After the judgement, Harry Maguire’s legal team announced their intention to appeal the ruling. The incident also led to Harry Maguire being dropped from the England national side. While the Man United captain has been trolled online for the entire incident, former club captain Wayne Rooney has lept to Maguire's defence.

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Premier League news: Wayne Rooney defends Harry Maguire

Speaking to talkSPORT, Wayne Rooney backed the Man United defender, claiming that Harry Maguire is ‘not that type of person’. The Man United legend also mentioned that he knows Harry Maguire personally and the way he knows him, the defender’s recent behaviour is not an indication of his character. Wayne Rooney further suggested that whatever has been reported about the incident is out of character for someone like Harry Maguire, conceding that he can’t wrap his head around the fact that the incident went to court.

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Wayne Rooney also questioned the court proceedings which led to Harry Maguire being given a suspended sentence. The 34-year-old said admitted that he finds it surprising Harry Maguire was found guilty and sentenced within two hours. Suggesting that Harry Maguire is not that sort of person at all, Wayne Rooney hinted that there may be more to the issue than what has been reported. The striker explained that since Harry Maguire was out with his girlfriend, family and friends, it couldn’t have been something which sometimes happens between a group of guys. 

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The Derby Country captain also said that Harry Maguire must have gotten into the bar brawl after being provoked, which prompted him to act out of character. Notably, several publications reporting on the incident had mentioned how Harry Maguire’s sister Daisy was attacked with a metal straw by a group of ‘Albanian gangsters’, which prompted the centre-back to step in to deal with the altercation. The 34-year-old also said that sometimes as a nation and as people, they are too quick to judge a player in such instances. Concluding on the issue, Wayne Rooney called for patience from everyone involved, saying that while he has been found guilty and an appeal has been lodged, there are no charges against his name until the next court date. 

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Image Courtesy: Wayne Rooney Instagram, Harry Maguire Instagram