England manager Gareth Southgate has fired back at pundits criticising his players after Roy Keane became the latest to direct stinging comments at Manchester United captain Harry Maguire.
The former United captain on Friday night unleashed a scathing response to Maguire's goal celebration after he opened the scoring during the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifier against Albania.
It comes after the 28-year-old ran to the corner flag cupping his hands to his ears, an action Keane described as "embarrassing".
The England boss dismissed recent criticism of his players as down to pundits needing to "stay relevant", adding: "It depends what you have to do to stay in work."
Southgate said: "I think we have to understand that the industry we're in there's different, in order to make a living you need to take different approaches so you have a choice of which type of approach you're going to take.
"I was always thinking as an ex-player, ex-manager recognising how difficult those things we so I guess I had empathy of those were stepping over the line and those in the difficult.
"It depends what you have to do to stay in work, some channels or forums require headlines, some channels or forums require a certain type of approach so it's different, I understand that. To stay relevant in those fields you need to be more quotable and lifted now used from the live broadcasts for next days headlines, everyone in those shows knows how it works and it fills a different part of our industry.
"That's where we're at. Personally, as a manager I get it, so be it. But I'm sure for the players they may feel different, they're younger, they may not have experienced those fields perhaps I've got.
"They're probably thinking there were players who surely remember how difficult it was to play thinking they didn't like it when they were criticised to step over the white line was the most difficult thing.
"They feel that a little bit differently to someone my age, so personally I get it, that's the industry so be it."
Maguire's criticism has coincided with Manchester United's poor recent run. Manchester City handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side their third home defeat of the season prior to the international break, after Aston Villa and Liverpool both left Old Trafford with all three points.
Keane, who made over 300 league appearances for the Reds, hasn't been shy in his comments over the current captain, describing him as a "robot" while addressing recent defeats in the media.
"What Man United have always had over the years, never mind talented players, they had players with character and personalities. I don’t see it in this group," he said.
"I heard Maguire talking during the week, he was like a robot. He was like [mimicking]: “Oh, er, apologies to the fans.” There’s no emotion behind it."
Keane on Friday added: "When a player scores puts his hands to his ears he's like shutting the critics up, but I think that's embarrassing, he's been a disgrace to Man United. He thinks he scores there he's shut his critics up, embarrassing."
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