Alan Smith says he has sympathy for Harry Maguire but the defender needs to leave Manchester United

As you can see, former England striker Alan Smith joins me now. Alan, good to talk to you. We just heard from Southgate there, a pretty strong defence from him on Maguire. Do you have sympathy for the situation the player finds himself in? I do, Jo, yes, I do. You know, I can remember when I got stick, when my team-mates got stick, it's never a nice thing. Harry Maguire is a strong character, I think there's no doubt about that, but even people like him will have to grit his teeth and just try and get through it. And the worst thing that could have happened was to have got an unknown goal, of course. It doesn't always rain, it pours sometimes, and that's what seems to be happening at the moment. But he'll come through it. I think he needs to change clubs, he needs to leave Manchester United and build that career again. There's no question he's a very good centre-half, not just for club, but for country, as he's shown in two or three tournaments. So, fans soon forget. If he joins another club, starts playing well again, we all move on to another target, don't we? But when I heard the stick he was getting last night, it makes you wince a little bit as an ex-pro. You touched on the fact that you face a similar situation. He was jeered by the Arsenal fans when he came on in his last game. We heard the Scotland fans going at him as well last night. Just tell us a little bit more from a player's perspective. How much does it take out of a player mentally? Well, you've got to try and make sure that you don't avoid the ball, that you keep showing for the pass, because as the ball comes towards you, you know that those jeers, whatever, he's going to start. We've heard it many times down the years. I remember playing with John Barnes for England when half of Wembley were booing his every touch, and this is one of the best players England's ever had. So it can happen to anybody, Joe. But no, you've just got to try and do the right things, be brave, try and play to the best of your ability and hope that eventually you can come through it. Alan, what's your take on the fact that Southgate did play him last night? Do you think that was the right decision to bring him on? Well, he had some choices, didn't he, with Tamori and Lewis Caldwell? But I think, you know, next to Dunk, he wanted to have somebody of experience there and also give some game time to a player that's not getting hardly any at his club. So, yeah, I mean, I'm sure the player and manager might have suspected there'd be a reaction. I'm sure they thought there would be. But he stuck to his guns, Gareth Southgate, and he's come out swinging afterwards, as we just heard. And it does annoy you, I think. When you're in that dressing room and you know the player, you like the player, you respect what he's achieved for the country, it hurts everybody to hear the reaction that he gets. So I think Gareth Southgate has just said, no, you know, irrespective of the reaction, I'm going to put faith in one of my key players, one that's been key over the years. You touched on it already, Alan. Do you think Maguire should have gone during the summer transfer window? Of course, he seemed to have the potential to move to West Ham. That didn't happen. But do you think he should have gone? Was it the wrong decision to stay at Old Trafford? We don't know which choices exactly he had. The move's got to be right for him, for his family, both in terms of off the pitch, on the pitch financially, all of those concerns that come into play. He wants to play football like most footballers and January might be the time to do that. There'll be plenty of suitors, you know. Despite the criticism he's had over the year or so, there'll be plenty of managers that would love him in their dressing room, in their starting XI. So you'd imagine he should have a choice. If Manchester United can agree to stay, it'd be nice now to see him move on and get back to playing some of his best football. Of course, a completely different story for Jude Bellingham last night. Everyone's talking about Bellingham this morning. I think he's scored nine goals in eight games now. How impressed have you been by the progression he's made over such a short period of time? Yeah, absolutely stunning. I think he'll be great when he gets a bit of confidence. I mean, he struts onto that pitch as if he owns it. I think if you're going to be the best in any sport, in any walk of life, I suppose, you've got to believe that you're the best. And he does. You can see it from his manner, his gaze, the way he looks at people, at opponents, you know. Almost a look of disdain sometimes. That makes him the player that he is. He knows he's got ability, but a lot of players might know they're quite good, but they can't carry it out. He's walked into the Real Madrid dressing room, and Danny Carvajal said, didn't he, that he's never known in his tenure somebody settle so quickly on and off the pitch. And to go into what is arguably the biggest club in the world with some of those stars, for him to stamp his kind of style and authority on the position he's playing in, he's just phenomenal. And for England, it's fantastic news. He's an automatic starter now at the age of 20, perhaps a future captain. He's got that air about him. As I say, he's got that confidence. And it is a joy to watch him go about his game now because it just seems he can't do any wrong. The goals he scores, scored five of Real Madrid's first eight. He makes those brilliant runs into the box. He's brave. He'll go up for those headers, maybe when a keeper's going to clatter him. He's got the lot. He really has. You've said there, potential England captain, people talking about him potentially being regarded as the best player in the world one day. Do you think there's a danger that we're talking a little bit too early about just how good Bellingham can get? Or do you think that that will happen? He is going to be the world's best. Yeah, I mean, the other thing that I haven't mentioned, Joe, is his attitude. He's got that hunger. He wants to win every tackle. He'll give the ref a little bit of stick or the opponent a little bit of stick. He's really got that drive. And if he maintains that, the only thing that can stop him then is injury. God forbid he doesn't get injured seriously. So I don't think, yeah, if you've got that ability and you've got the attitude to go with it, it is the perfect combination. So I know we do go overboard quickly in this day and age when we see something exciting. But I think this is with justification. And, you know, for England especially, as an Englishman, I hope he's going to be in that team now for the next 10 years or more. And do you like where he's playing? I mean, I think he's playing as a number 10. Real Madrid's similar position for England. Do you like him in that position? Or do you think he should be playing a deeper role? I think he can do either because he's certainly got the legs to do it. But you want to see him. I mean, he had Phillips and Declan Rices as that insurance, didn't he? You want to see him making those runs, doing his best work in the opposition's half and in the final third. If need be, yeah, he can play from a deeper position and still get in the box. But you don't want to ask too much of him. Yeah, I think the position he played last night, I don't know what he'd say, but I would hazard a guess that he'd say that's his preferred position. It doesn't have to be a number 10, but it can be from the side, making runs into the box, whatever. But you'd want to see him making those runs, getting into the 18-yard area and doing what he's doing at the moment, scoring goals. Yeah, I mean, Bellingham catching the eye. Phil Foden caught the eye last night as well. We heard Southgate talking strongly about Harry Maguire. He also spoke pretty strongly about Phil Foden and where he's playing and almost saying that he doesn't want to play him in a certain position. What do you make of that? And what did you make of Foden's performance last night? Well, he's a wonderful talent. There's no question about that. I think he's coming in, he's only young, a bit like Bellingham, but almost coming into his peak years now for Manchester City. He's had some wonderful performances. I think of that game against Newcastle a couple of weeks back when he played as a number 10 and he was just sensational. Yeah, so I'm a bit confused by what Gareth Southgate said there because he's played other players out of position from where they do for the clubs. So, maybe there's an element of doubt in his mind that he can't play as a number 10, but I'd be amazed if that was the case because he's such a talented boy. In that Newcastle game I mentioned, on the half-turn, driving at defenders, he was finding space time and again and there's no doubt he could do that for England as well. So, yeah, I'm sure Southgate will come round to that way of thinking that Foden is another option in that department. And overall, just looking at England's performance last night, what did you make of it? Because it was quite a contrast to the one that we saw against the Ukraine. Yeah, you know, I think everybody needed that. Gareth Southgate probably did because, yeah, a lot of criticism. Some of it just, some of it not so, but it was a comprehensive performance, wasn't it? It was an impressive one. Everybody played well, which doesn't often happen, but a real team performance with a sharp, cutting edge. And Harry Kane, with those players behind him, he must be thinking, I can play until I'm 35 here and score goals. You know, Bellingham, you saw the look on his face when he looked back at Bellingham after the assist. It's a joy for any centre-forward to have that kind of service. So, yeah, really good performance that bodes well. We're going to qualify, aren't we, I think, for the European Championships. If we can maintain that kind of form, we'll make a game for anybody. We do like an international break, but we also love it when the Premier League comes back. Back this weekend, your former side, Arsenal, travelling to Everton in the live Super Sunday match. It's ten points after four games. What do you make of their title challenge this season? Will they be challenging up there? I think so. There's no reason why they can't have that, if not better, having added to the squad. Obviously, they've got the Champions League challenge as well to balance on those Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And then, you know, having that focus, that energy, concentration at the weekend. But that all comes with being a successful club. Obviously, Manchester City have the yardstick, but I think Arsenal, Gabriel Jesus coming back into it, getting his goal against Manchester United is good news. I think Kai Havert will settle eventually. I think he's a good signing for the club. Obviously, Declan Rice is. So, you know, I think I've got high hopes for this coming season. Can't afford too many slip-ups with City looking like they'll win every game at the moment. But I think for Arsenal fans, yeah, another very exciting campaign. Alan, always good to speak to you. Thank you for joining us.