United star should consider rejecting a World Cup call-up, says former England boss – report

Harry Maguire’s return to the England set-up has prompted debate about his inclusion in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad this summer. The Manchester United centre-back has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s thinking after a strong run of form at club level. Maguire has enjoyed a much-improved 18 months at Old Trafford, popping up with some big moments for Ruben Amorim and looking largely dependable under interim head coach Michael Carrick. Not first choice However, despite England’s lack of depth at centre-half, Tuchel has admitted Maguire is his fifth choice in the starting XI, behind Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones and Trevoh Chalobah. The German’s comments have sparked conversation on whether Maguire should make the trip to the US, with former England manager Sam Allardyce weighing in on the debate. As reported by the Metro, Allardyce labelled Tuchel’s words as “a bit harsh” and urged Maguire to seriously consider his place in the squad, even if he gets the nod in the summer. He said: “If I was in Harry’s position, I’d reconsider going with the camp at all. Perhaps to his own detriment, Harry has said that Tuchel’s comments would cause no problem and. It makes you wonder whether he’s too nice!” Allardyce went on to praise Maguire for his return to form and accused United of trying to “belittle” the 33-year-old during his difficult spell. “Harry endured such a difficult time at Manchester United when the club tried to belittle him – especially the manager at the time. He’s lost his captaincy, his place in the England squad, and has been criticised so heavily in the last few years. He’s taken every criticism on the chin and is proving everyone wrong,” said Allardyce. Maguire played a full 90 minutes for the Three Lions in the 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay last Friday and came on as a late substitute to try and rescue a goal in the 1-0 defeat to Japan at Wembley last night (Tuesday). New contract pending Despite his uncertainty with England, it looks as though his future at United is set to become a lot clearer, with the defender set to sign an extension to his contract that runs out at the end of the campaign. The new deal will keep Maguire at Old Trafford until the end of 2027, with the option of another year at the conclusion of next season. It’s expected Maguire will feature as back-up to first-choice pairing Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, whose consistent injury issues leave the Englishman with plenty of scope for game time. Centre-back prodigies Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven will also hope to benefit from Maguire’s experience, with the pair both eyeing breakthrough campaigns over the next year or two. Maguire will find out his fate with England next month, with the announcement for the final World Cup squad expected in mid-May. Before then, the big defender will continue to play his part in United’s push for Champions League qualification, with seven huge games on the horizon after the international break. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Conner Botterill Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for three years. A keen match-going red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology through the Open University. His favourite match attended was the Champions League victory in Paris under one the guidance of one of his idols, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.