Pundits and England fans alike have all questioned Gareth Southgate’s decision to call up Harry Maguire for international duty.
The Three Lions continue their Euro 2024 qualifying quest tomorrow with an away tie against Ukraine, and they’ll be hoping to maintain their perfect win record in Group C.
Southgate had some difficult decisions to make when naming his squad for the September fixtures, given that the season had only just begun across Europe. However, in true Southgate fashion, he went for his usual favourites – you can’t question his loyalties to certain players.
Maguire is, of course, one of the manager’s most trusted lieutenants, and was chosen to feature despite – at the time of selection – not playing a minute of Premier League football in Manchester United’s opening fixtures.
It remains to be seen whether Southgate will stick to such decisions if the situation continues with Maguire’s lack of game time, especially when considering how much it could impact England’s chances at the tournament next summer.
Richards on Maguire
Former Manchester City full-back Micah Richards weighed in on the controversial choice by the coach while speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“Maguire’s in there, Maguire’s not played well for two years!” he said.
If you’re a centre-half and you’re playing well in the Premier League consistently and not getting a sniff, but Maguire’s in there because the manager likes him and his character around the group, then really it’s not about football.”
