Manchester United captain Harry Maguire seeks to protect teammates from abuse on social media

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has revealed how he offers support to the club’s younger stars to help them deal with abuse on social media.

The England defender called on social media giants Twitter and Instagram to verify accounts after Paul Pogba was targeted with racial abuse in 2019.

Mason Greenwood deleted his Twitter account in the the aftermath of his exile from the England national team in September after the United striker and Phil Foden breached Covid-19 protocols by sneaking in two Icelandic girls into the team hotel.

Harry Maguire wants social media firms to verify accounts with a passport or driving license

This summer Maguire was targeted by online trolls after he was arrested on the Greek island of Mykonos this summer.  

The 27-year-old believes his age and experience allows him to ignore the online abuse and he offers advice to his less experienced team-mates.

He told Sky Sports: ‘I try and look out for them [his United team-mates] especially the younger lads like Mason [Greenwood] and Brandon [Williams].

‘They have a great team here in terms of looking after them.

Maguire has revealed how he offers support to the club’s younger stars like Mason Greenwood

‘We are fortunate here to be such a good club with a great team who look after the young boys.

‘It needs to be looked at and changed, for me you can’t be making accounts on social media under false names.

‘If you verify an account it’s something that can be solved pretty simply, I don’t know why it hasn’t been [done already].’ 

Maguire was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence in August after being found guilty by a Greek court of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and bribery.

He has had an appeal for retrial accepted in Greece. 

Greenwood and Phil Foden were sent home by England for breaking Covid-19 protocols

Maguire added: ‘For me personally, the best thing is to ignore everything and try not to look at things to be honest, I stay away from a lot of social media comments and things like that.

‘As a young lad, you are more worried about things and what’s being said, for me now anything can get said about me and I’m not bothered, it probably bothers my family more than it bothers me. I think you get better with experience and good help around you.

‘But I think its tough especially for people who go from nothing to being a superstar and all of a sudden they’re in the limelight.

‘The amount of hate they get from showing how they live and things like that and the comments they receive, its tough for them and its hard to start with, but I can only say I’ve got better with age and experience.’

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was targeted with racial abuse on social media