Maguire set for podcast role at World Cup after Tuchel drops him from England squad

Harry Maguire is set to appear as a guest on The Rest is Football during the World Cup after Thomas Tuchel left the Manchester United defender out of England’s 26-man squad for the tournament in the United States. The 33-year-old was among the more surprising omissions, with Tuchel instead selecting Dan Burn, Jarrel Quansah and Djed Spence as his defensive options, while Luke Shaw was also left out.

Maguire had enjoyed an outstanding season at Old Trafford and was widely expected to secure a place in the squad. His exclusion prompted a public exchange between player and manager — Maguire said he was stunned by the decision, while Tuchel admitted he was taken aback by the strength of Maguire’s response.

According to The Athletic, Maguire is among several guests expected to feature on The Rest is Football during the tournament. The podcast’s production company, Goalhanger, secured a £14 million deal with Netflix earlier this year to broadcast daily editions of the programme across the World Cup. A total of 40 episodes have been scheduled, with Gary Lineker joined by regular co-presenter Alan Shearer in a studio overlooking New York’s Times Square. Micah Richards will appear in person for some episodes but will predominantly feature from a virtual studio in Salford.

The World Cup begins in just over a week when co-host nation Mexico face South Africa. England’s final warm-up fixture takes place 24 hours before their tournament opener, with the Three Lions facing Costa Rica in Orlando.

Off the pitch, Manchester United have moved quickly in the transfer window. Goalkeeper Ederson is poised to join from Atalanta in a £38.8 million deal, with negotiations accelerated after he was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad and had just 12 months remaining on his contract with the Italian club.

United are also in the market for midfield reinforcements following the departure of Casemiro, with Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Adam Wharton and Aurelien Tchouameni among those under consideration by Michael Carrick’s side. A left-back is also a priority, with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall identified as the primary target, alongside Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and West Ham United’s El Hadji Malick Diouf.