Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has hit out at the ongoing criticism of Harry Maguire.

The 30-year-old has been the subject of abuse for a long period of time, with the centre-back losing his starting role at Man United last season due to some lacklustre performances.

Maguire remains a key player for England, featuring in both of his country's matches during the international break, but he was taunted after scoring an own goal against Scotland on Tuesday night.

Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate launched a strong defence of the former Sheffield United youngster in the aftermath of the game with Scotland, calling the abuse "ridiculous".

Maguire's mother, Zoe, posted a statement on Instagram on Thursday calling for the criticism "from some fans, pundits and the media" to end.

Ten Hag was asked about the situation during his press conference on Friday afternoon, and the Dutchman said that the defender "does not deserve" the constant "disrespectful" comments.

''I think I have said already, many times, it is disrespectful," Ten Hag told reporters ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

"He does not deserve it, he is a great player and [he has] given great performances. It's crazy but it's how it works and Harry has to block this by [his] performances.''

Maguire made his first club appearance of the season as a second-half substitute in Man United's 3-1 defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

The defender is set to be back on the bench against Brighton, though, as both Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have been declared fit after coming off against Arsenal.

Raphael Varane is also close to recovering from a muscular problem, meaning that minutes at club level are likely to be hard to secure for Maguire in the coming months.

However, the ex-Red Devils captain is still confident that he will receive plenty of football this season, with Man United preparing to compete in four separate competitions.

West Ham United had a bid accepted for Maguire over the summer, but the defender turned down the chance to move to the London Stadium in order to fight for his spot with the 20-time English champions. body check tags ::