As you might expect from England’s first-choice centre-back and captain of Manchester United, Harry Maguire is prepared to sacrifice all for his country, to push past the pain without regard for his own wellbeing, if selected.
Maguire declared himself fit to start against Scotland on Friday, and being the all-round good egg he is, wished the present incumbents Tyrone Mings and John Stones the very best should Gareth Southgate stick with the pairing that started the tournament so solidly against Croatia.
Maguire could not be more supportive of the cause if he turned up at St George’s Park with and England scarf and rattle.
He was in the stands as a Hull player with his brothers and their mates the last time this tournament rolled out in France five years ago and cheered on England in the sunshine last Sunday.
“I am a player for England but I am a huge fan,” Maguire said.
“It’s Gareth’s decision but the bottom line for me is that I want this country to win whether I’m in the team or not. If I’m there to improve the team, that’s fair enough but, of course, Tyrone and John did a great job and kept a clean sheet and I couldn’t be more happy for them.”
Maguire knew immediately the scale of difficulty he was in when he went over on his ankle after a challenge involving Anwar El Ghazi in the closing stages of United’s match at Villa Park almost six weeks ago. It soon became apparent that he would not make the Europa League final against Villarreal and there were doubts about his place in the England squad.
“I knew it was going to be serious because it didn’t come from impact. It was just freak accident. Obviously you fear the worst. I feared missing the Europa League final and then obviously the Euros as well. But I’m here now and ready to go.”
Southgate’s regular contact with Maguire provided reassurance and impetus. Southgate identified Maguire early on as a key member of his leadership group, a decision that proved prescient with the defender’s subsequent elevation to the captaincy of his club.
One of the few benefits of crowdless stadia has been the ability to hear the verbal interaction between the players. Maguire’s voice is among the Premier League’s most audible, the imprecations directed at his team-mates, particularly Marcus Rashford, Fred and Luke Shaw have added not only to the texture of the experience but our understanding of how Maguire ticks.
“I’m happy fans are back in the stadium, so you can’t hear a lot of my arguments with the players,” he said. “My brother will text me after [games], ‘you have an argument with Rashford, you have an argument with someone else’.
“I demand a lot from players, I demand a lot, for example, from Luke. I drive him forward all the time. I want the best from him, and you’ve seen this year how important he’s been at club level, and how much he’s improved. It’s probably something I’ve developed over my career, the experience, me talking hopefully tells others but also keeps me focused and concentrated.”
Victory over Scotland would guarantee passage to the knockout stages. The aim is to demonstrate progress, to further establish the identity of Southgate’s England, to augment the positive experience of Russia, where England reached the last four. Maguire believes the squad has matured into a team capable of winning a tournament for only the second time.
“I think as a group of players we are in a better place. You know that in these games it is decided on big moments. I feel the group of players is a really exciting, lots of talent, lots of technical ability and a lot of experience. We will take the experience from the World Cup and touch wood if we get to the knockout stage we can use that experience to our advantage.”
More from i on Euro 2020
- In praise of Emma Hayes, the best pundit at Euro 2020 so far
- Eriksen collapse has thrown a spotlight on football’s relentless thirst for more
- ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ showing he has perfect blend of silk and steel to be a star
- Where Schick’s strike against Scotland ranks among greatest Euros goals
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3q37Dr9
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