Harry Maguire Reflects on Thomas Tuchel's England Snub

Harry Maguire has lifted the lid on the moment Thomas Tuchel told him he would not be going to the next England tournament – and it came via a video call that left the defender feeling both exposed and stunned.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the Manchester United centre-back described a selection snub delivered through FaceTime, a modern method that only amplified the awkwardness of the news.

“Tuchel FaceTimed everyone,” Maguire said. “It was quite an awkward call. I received a text saying can I speak to you about 4pm. It is quite a unique way of doing it and it must be quite hard because he can see everyone’s reactions.”

There was no small talk. No soft landing.

“I said straightaway I was really disappointed,” he admitted. “I thought I did enough to be in the squad and thought I could have helped and had a part to play on and off the pitch. He said he can’t give me an excuse but he had gone with the four lads who got him through the autumn.”

For a player who has lived the full glare of international scrutiny, it was a brutal moment. Maguire had every reason to believe he was on the plane. Tuchel had picked him for the March camp, his first under the new manager, and the defender felt he had delivered.

“It was tough to take,” he said. “I did think I would be in the squad after being selected for the March camp under him for the first time. I did really well in both games and then went back to Manchester United and finished the season really strongly.”

The numbers back up his sense of grievance: 66 caps, major tournaments, big nights under pressure. Yet experience counted for less than continuity. Tuchel stayed loyal to the defenders who had carried him through the autumn fixtures, and Maguire suddenly found himself on the outside looking in.

He has not disappeared from the England picture, though. Not in his own mind, and not in the dressing room either.

Despite the setback, Maguire has stayed in close contact with senior figures in the squad, including Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jordan Pickford, offering support from a distance and keeping his connection to the group alive. The conversation has shifted from tactics and training to encouragement and backing – but the bond remains.

Crucially, he is not treating this as the end of his international story, even with Tuchel contracted through to Euro 2028.

“I don’t think I would retire from England. I still feel I have something to offer,” he said. “There will be a time and a place where I don’t deserve to get picked but I probably still wouldn’t come out and retire. If I got one more cap it would be worth it.”

No dramatic farewell statement. No door slammed shut.

Just a defender with 66 caps, a bruising FaceTime memory, and a clear conviction that his England chapter is not finished yet.