Maguire wishes England squad well after shock World Cup omission leaves him 'gutted'

Harry Maguire has spoken to members of the England squad since his surprise omission from Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup roster, telling them he hopes the tournament goes well — even as he admitted the snub left him devastated.

The Manchester United defender was among the most high-profile absentees from Tuchel’s 26-man squad, alongside club teammate Luke Shaw, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Maguire did not hold back when the news broke, posting a statement on social media that read: “I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision.”

Appearing on Netflix’s The Rest is Football alongside Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, Maguire confirmed he had been in contact with players in the England camp. “Yeah, I’ve spoken to a few of them,” he said. “They’re all, obviously, the camps go really well, and they’ve had two wins in the friendlies as well, so it seems a positive camp. I wish them all the best.”

Maguire acknowledged the bittersweet nature of his situation, adding: “I want them to do well — all my friends. Obviously I’d love to have been out there and maybe not chatting to you on this podcast. But this is obviously the second best thing for me, and I’m getting to come over there and experience the atmosphere.”

The 32-year-old will be in North America as part of the show’s coverage, giving him a ringside seat for a tournament he had hoped to compete in. It is the second consecutive major competition he has missed; a calf injury ruled him out of Euro 2024, while he was a regular starter for United when fit throughout last season.

Former United captain Roy Keane offered a characteristically direct assessment of the omission. “If you can’t get into a squad of 26, that’s on you,” Keane said. “That is on the player — you’ve not done enough to convince that manager. There will always be uproar with England for players that are left out if they play for certain clubs, but that’s on you.”

England open their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, before facing Ghana and Panama later in the group stage.