Harry Maguire is right to feel ‘shocked' to not be in the England’s squad - Tuchel has got this one wrong
As England boss Thomas Tuchel names his final World Cup squad our reporter Kurt Leyland shares his thoughts on the shock decision to leave out Harry Maguire
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when a ruthless Thomas Tuchel named his final England squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and in-form Morgan Gibbs-White were the biggest names in terms of absentees from a midfield perspective, while names like Lewis Hall and Jarrod Bowen will also feel unlucky to miss out after solid individual seasons.
But when it comes to players that have been there and proven themselves for the Three Lions in past tournaments, it’s clear to see that one of the most eye-catching omissions from his squad list is Sheffielder Harry Maguire.
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The 66-time international, who recently hinted at his ambition to go into coaching later down the line, started his career at Bramall Lane, showing plenty of promise as a midfielder at academy level for the Blades before developing into one of the brightest talents in League One in the centre-back position.
He was never likely to be in the third-tier for long and after a three-year spell at Hull City moved on to Leicester City, where he’d make his England debut in 2017. Ever since then he’s been a stalwart in the Three Lions backline and a player that’s almost never put a foot wrong defensively.
Maguire’s introduction to the England team coincided nicely with a new era under Gareth Southgate as a Three Lions team which had flattered to deceive in years gone by, established themselves as a force in the upper echelons of international football once more by going deep into tournaments. The Sheffielder played a key role in helping England reach the semi-final of the World Cup in 2018 - their furthest position since 1990 - notably netting a header in the quarter-final win over Sweden.
And three years later at the European Championship, he was just as imperious defensively as Southgate’s side reached the final before losing to Italy by the finest margins - not that Maguire could have done much more after smashing in his penalty in the shoot-out in emphatic fashion and making it into the team of the tournament.
Maguire had his critics around this time. Many questioned whether he justified the £80m price tag Manchester United paid for him in 2019 and though he captained the Red Devils throughout his first few years, he struggled to always win the trust of Erik ten Hag and was often rotated.
Some sections of the England fanbase were sceptical of Maguire due to his form at club level. However, any concerns almost always faded completely when he put on an England shirt, even during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he was selected for Sky Sports's 2022 World Cup Team of the Tournament.
Admittedly things change at international level as the next generation of talent steps up, but it’s hard to understand why Maguire hasn’t at least been afforded a squad place in this particular tournament under Thomas Tuchel. Particularly when you look at what he’s achieved this season in comparison to some of the names picked ahead of him.
For example, John Stones, despite his immense career for England and Manchester City, has only played eight minutes of top-flight football since December 6 amid injury issues, while Jarell Quansah of Bayer Leverkusen is still learning his trade at a team that failed to qualify for the Champions League in Germany’s Bundesliga.
Even Dan Burn, who enjoyed an immense cup-winning campaign with Newcastle last season, is struggling to hit the same heights for a Magpies team underachieving in mid-table with the fifth worst defensive record in the top-flight this term.
On paper, only really Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi have had better seasons than Maguire this time around, with the Sheffielder featuring 22 times in the league this season, and starting almost every game since Michael Carrick’s introduction as United boss in January.
Maguire’s been key to the team’s recent turnaround following Ruben Amorim’s exit and has helped the Red Devils achieve Champions League qualification and a top four finish for the first time in three years.
Maguire told TalkSport: “I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision.” It’s fair to say that he’s probably right to feel that way.
England’s World Cup campaign begins on Wednesday, June 17 when they take on 2022 semi-finalists Croatia in their opening game.