Harry Maguire has revealed that he had an 'awkward' FaceTime call with Thomas Tuchel after being told that he was not in England's World Cup squad. The Manchester United star was among the surprise names omitted from the Three Lions' 26-man selection earlier this summer.
Maguire's Social Media Outburst
Maguire made his feelings very clear in the aftermath with a post on social media. He said: 'I was confident I could of [sic] 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.' He added: 'I've loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.'
The Awkward Video Call
Speaking to The Rest Is Football podcast, Maguire revealed that he was told of Tuchel's decision in a video call. He said: 'He FaceTimes everyone. It's quite an awkward call.' Maguire explained that something was released in the media about half an hour before he was informed, which made the situation even more frustrating. 'It was a surprise at the time. I said straight away that it was a surprise. I was really disappointed.'
Maguire described the conversation as honest. He said: 'We had a few words. Look, I'm quite a big personality. I'm experienced. It was an honest conversation between us both. He really said that he can't really give me an excuse.'
Maguire's Form at United
Maguire maintains that his form at Manchester United was good enough to see him included in the England squad. He said: 'I thought I did enough to be in the squad. And I thought I could have helped the lads out there. I thought I would still have had a part to play on the pitch, and off the pitch as well.' At 33, he acknowledged his age: 'I'm 33 now, so 37 at the next World Cup. I wanted to go, not just play – I wasn't demanding to go and start the games. I'd have been happy to play one minute, as long as I was there with the lads.'
Tuchel's Response
Tuchel has previously given his take on Maguire's social media activity and suggested that he was taken aback by his post. The England boss said: 'I was a bit surprised, but I respect his personality a lot. I respect his quality a lot. He had an outstanding season. I can see the disappointment. I can see the reason behind the disappointment.' Tuchel added: 'Still, I was a bit surprised, because we had a private conversation in which he had the chance to express his feelings, which he did. This is fair enough, because I can see all the reasons why he could be in the squad, but the decision is that we stood firmly with our central defenders that carried us through September, October, November. Some of them are part of the leadership group that took ownership and set the standards high.'
