Harry Maguire has been cruelly mocked in the parliament of Ghana during a debate about the country’s budget for next year.
The African nation’s economic policies were compared to the England defender’s form for Manchester United since joining them from Leicester City, with one member of parliament provoking laughter by caricaturing the 29-year-old as a player who tackled his team-mates and scored own goals.
Isaac Adongo, aligned to the opposition National Democratic Congress party, went on to brand Ghana’s vice-president, Mahamudu Bawumia, the “economic Maguire”.
Referencing the on-going World Cup, at which Ghana beat South Korea 3-2 on Monday, he said: “If you are a fan of football, and I am happy to see you the other day jubilating when Ghana won, but there was a player in the United Kingdom, in England, called Maguire, who was playing for Manchester United.
“Harry Maguire, he’s a defender. He was tackling everybody and throwing his body everywhere. And he was seen as the best defender in the world.
Manchester United went and bought him.
“He became the biggest threat at the centre of Manchester United’s defence, tackling Manchester players and giving assists to opponents. Mr Speaker, when even the opponents fail to score, Maguire will score for them.
“Mr Speaker, you remember, in this country, we also have an economic Maguire.
“Mr Speaker, when we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence, he became the risk of our own goal.”
Adongo’s jibes about Maguire appear ill-timed given the defender’s fine World Cup performances for England, which have silenced many of his critics. (IrishIndependent)