Southgate and Solskjaer believe BUDDHA wouldn’t melt in Maguire’s mouth

HARRY SET TO KEEP THE UNITED ARMBAND AS HE GETS BACKING OF HIS BOSSES OVER HIS GREEK NIGHTMARE

IT is not often Buddha gets quoted by a no-nonsense, Sheffield-born centre-half saddled with a nickname of Slabhead.

It is not often Buddha gets it wrong. But in relation to recent events on the fantasy island of Mykonos, it is hard to share Harry Maguire’s faith in one of Buddha’s very many pearls of wisdom.

“Three things cannot long be hidden – the sun, the moon and the truth,” Maguire reminded his Instagram followers on Tuesday.

Even with the prospect of Maguire’s appeal, it seems unlikely the whole truth about what happened on the night of the £63,000-bar bill will ever come into plain sight.

Either you believe Harry or you do not. Or either you WANT to believe Harry or you do not want to. Gareth Southgate wants to.

Just as importantly for Maguire, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to.

On a back catalogue of evidence, both trust him. Not quite implicitly but not far off it.

That is why Maguire will remain as Manchester United captain. When club manager and skipper formally go back to training ground work on September 2, Maguire’s appeal will still be pending.

And that will almost certainly remain the state of play when United kick off their Premier League season on the weekend of September 19/20.

Solskjaer and Maguire will talk the whole thing over. The Norwegian says he expects certain standards from his players – be polite, look smart.

But no matter how principled a manager of an elite club might be, he makes compromises when it comes to the greater good, resultswise, of his team.

Maguire looks to have been foolish for going out on the town in Mykonos. But he played every Premier League minute of last season for Solskjaer, became his captain and led a defence whose record was the most important factor in United finishing third. Solskjaer might want his men to wear a suit and behave but he also wants unswerving commitment and leadership on the pitch. That is what he gets from Maguire.

And such was the supportive tone of United’s official statement in the wake of Maguire’s conviction, it is obvious the club believes the Greek trial was little more than the work of some sort of kangaroo court.

And the enthusiasm with which United emphasised that – after his appeal had been successfully lodged – Maguire is, under local law, innocent again until proven guilty again, showed just how much they are backing their man.

Maguire will remain as United skipper until the result of his appeal, which could be even be a year or more.

Even if that appeal is unsuccessful, the chances are Maguire will still keep the captaincy, will still retain Solskjaer’s trust. It would take new, damning revelations from the Greek authorities to change Solskjaer’s thinking.

Even though some of Maguire’s on-field shortcomings have been recently highlighted, he is as fundamental to Solskjaer’s plans as any other player. More so, probably.

And he is unlikely to jeopardise his captain’s loyalty by stripping him of a great honour.

Especially as, contrary to what Maguire and Buddha think, the truth about what went on in Mykonos will probably long be hidden.