Despite facing challenges in his club career at Manchester United, manager Gareth Southgate has affirmed that Harry Maguire will continue to be a starting player for the England national team.
Maguire’s struggles at Manchester United saw him lose his starting spot at the beginning of the season, falling to the status of the fourth or fifth-choice center-back. There were even talks of a potential transfer to West Ham for £30 million in the summer, although the deal fell through as Manchester United declined to accept the offered compensation.
Further complicating Maguire’s situation, he was stripped of his captaincy at Manchester United due to his limited playing time, finding himself behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof in the pecking order at the start of the current campaign. However, despite his club troubles, Maguire found himself in Southgate’s England lineup when it was announced in late August.
Maguire recently played the full 90 minutes in England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine, partnering effectively with the impressive Marc Guehi. England is set to face Scotland in a friendly on Tuesday, with additional fixtures against Australia, Italy, Malta, and North Macedonia scheduled for the rest of 2023.
Southgate praised Maguire, citing his wealth of experience and strong performances in practice. Maguire’s dedication to the team is evident, and there is optimism that he might see increased playing time for Manchester United in the coming weeks due to injuries within the squad.
Varane sustained an injury during a recent match against Nottingham Forest, creating a vacancy in the defense. Martinez also missed Argentina’s game against Ecuador in World Cup qualifying due to being substituted early in a match against Arsenal. Additionally, Luke Shaw, who occasionally played as a center-back last season, has been unavailable, and Lindelof had to be substituted during the Arsenal game due to illness.
As a result of these circumstances, Maguire and Jonny Evans were paired together in the defense for the remainder of the Arsenal match, rekindling their partnership from their previous stint at Leicester City.
