Harry Maguire Reveals Awkward FaceTime Call from Tuchel
Harry Maguire has revealed the moment Thomas Tuchel told him he was out of the England squad – via a FaceTime call that left the defender stunned and uncomfortable.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the 66-cap centre-back described the manager’s method as “quite an awkward call”, lifting the lid on how one of the most high‑profile omissions in recent England history was delivered.
The Call No Player Wants
Maguire explained that the news began with a simple message.
“I received a text saying can I speak to you about 4pm,” he said. What followed was anything but routine. “He [Tuchel] FaceTimed everyone. It was quite an awkward call. It is quite a unique way of doing it and it must be quite hard because he can see everyone's reactions.”
On the other end of the screen, Maguire did not hide his feelings.
“I said straightaway I was really disappointed. 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.”
Tuchel, he says, offered no tactical justification, no fitness caveat, no convenient explanation.
“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 been a mainstay for his country at major tournaments, it cut deep.
“It was tough to take,” Maguire admitted. “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.”
Hurt, But Still All In
Most players in that position would retreat, switch off from the national team for a while, let the frustration cool. Maguire has gone the other way.
Despite the setback, he has stayed in close contact with key figures in the dressing room – Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jordan Pickford among them – to make clear his support from the outside. The defender might not be on the pitch, but he has not detached himself from the group.
His commitment to England, he insists, remains absolute, regardless of Tuchel’s contract running 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.”
For now, Maguire stands on the outside looking in, his international future in the hands of a manager who has already made one brutal call. The question is simple: when the next squad is named, will that FaceTime screen light up with a recall, or another hard conversation?
