Harry Maguire was adamant having given Gareth Southgate his own version of what actually transpired on Mykonos which had dominated front and back pages on international dailies since last Friday. And there was no doubt then that he was ready to play for England.
Maguire’s version was good enough for Southgate, who included him in his squad to face Iceland and Denmark in the Uefa Nations League. Then came 5.15pm with the news that has given Maguire’s country and club a major problem – he had been found guilty of assault and attempting to bribe a Hellenic police officer.
Manchester United moved expediently to show full support for their proud £85 million acquisition, the man Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made captain in January. The fairness of the trial was duly questioned, given Maguire’s legal team was given little time to peruse the evidence.
England team boss Gareth Southgate, having publicly defended his player and retained him in his squad, was left with no alternative but to make a U-turn and withdraw Maguire from the national first XI, citing the impact it would have on their preparations, which have been severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic distorting the football calendar.
Little wonder then that he conceded to a genuine chuckle when one reporter offered greetings to the new season. He understandably did not want the Maguire issue distracting his players when they meet up next week as all eyes would be on Maguire when they prepare for Nations League matches and the same will be true at United when he returns for pre-season training. Until the appeal is heard, that will be the case as it stands.
Obviously the stakes are undeniably high risk for Maguire. Even though the world’s most expensive defender has been accustomed to public scrutiny in the last 12 months since his much-touted move from Leicester City, he certainly would not want aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery on his CV as United captain and England star. Maguire rigorously maintains that he, and his family, feel the victims during the flashpoint in the early hours of Friday as his sister was apparently targeted by men and there are even allegations she was injected.
Maguire defending his family is more aligned to the nature of his character that his managers are familiar with.
“I have no reason to doubt what he’s telling me,” Southgate said.
“You know, in terms of character of person, he’s been absolutely outstanding for us and I think the fact that Manchester United have made him their captain would highlight that from their point of view as well. I’m sure if you speak with any of the many managers and coaches that have worked with him, he’s been a delight to work with.”
Interestingly, and a poignant flashpoint, this was the player whose first call-up for England saw him arrive at St George’s Park with his kit in a bin bag full of boots and dirty kit. Apparently then the most expensive defender in world football arrived at Old Trafford with nary a boot deal, eventually signing up with Puma in his only significant commercial deal, despite offers for him to promote brands. Naturally, his marketability increased when he was given the captaincy, earlier than expected, when Ashley Young left for Inter Milan in January. His appeal, to his credit, seems based on principle rather than image.
“He clearly has been through quite an ordeal as have the other members of his party,” Southgate said, prior to the verdict.
“His actual thoughts and feelings were towards them and some of the things they had experienced rather than himself. It is fair to say that I am putting a lot of faith in him but I think it is fair to do that both in terms of my relationship with him and what he has given to the team.”
It has been a hectic season for Maguire with hardly any respite. He has started every game of the Premier League campaign and in total played 5,412 minutes across 60 matches for club and country, the highest total for a player in the world. Despite that killer schedule, he still wanted to turn out for Southgate, even though he was playing in the Europa League semi-final less than a fortnight ago.
The general feeling is that football would have been a welcome relief from the Mykonos circus for Harry but his verdict meant that was not possible. However, his omission from the national team for now appears more temporary than terminal, pending his appeal to the Grrek legal justice system. For Southgate, his primary mission is to make sure the focus is on winning in their first matches in 10 months.
“I can’t pick a team to win based on the best behaved XI. It’s just not realistic,” said Southgate.
“If you look at some of the greatest competitors in the world and winners in every sport, they are not always easy to manage and they are not perfect. And none of us are. My job is to pick an England team to win as I’ve said before. I’ve got to balance what the line is on that.”