Germany star Jerome Boateng has been branded as an ‘absolute joke’ by Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane.
Boateng, who has been a long-term target for United, was sent off for two yellow cards in Germany’s World Cup clash against Sweden on Saturday.
Germany, who won the last World Cup in 2014, lost their opening game in Russia to Mexico and also went behind against Sweden.
Despite Boateng’s red card, they rallied to score an injury-time winner and keep their hopes of winning back-to-back tournaments alive.
Former Manchester United captain Keane was scathing of Boateng’s display, however, and told ITV at half-time: ‘The two centre halves will give you a heart-attack.
‘Boateng has got to come off. Boateng has been a disgrace.
‘He’s been walking around he’s like it’s a game of Sunday league football. He’s been a disgrace, get him off.’
After the full-time whistle Keane, who won seven Premier League titles at Manchester United, said Germany were ‘better off without’ Boateng.
Neville added: ''Roy is absolutely right, the centre-backs have been a joke, an absolute joke.
''Boateng thinks for some reason he is [Franz] Beckenbauer, thinks he’s the player. He’s played under Pep and started to believe he is a fantastic football player.
''He has been a joke in this first half. He’s got delusions, thinks he is a player; he's wandering forward, ambling in the game.
''The performance of the centre backs [was poor], the lack of understanding. I have never seen Germany look so naive in games. But they got there.
''The Germans are not right, they are not right. The rumours before the game are proving to be true. Something is way wrong.''
Jose Mourinho is hoping to sign a central defender this summer and recent reports say Bayern Munich want around £50million for Boateng.