Leicester City centre-back Harry Maguire was one of three new faces in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia early next month.
There is no more Wayne Rooney after the Everton forward announced his international retirement, but Maguire was joined in the squad by Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as Southgate freshened his selection.
The call-up capped some rise for Maguire, who was playing Championship football as recently as the 2015-16 campaign, and only ever made one appearance for England’s Under-21 team – against Northern Ireland in November 2012.
It would be fair to say that England do not currently have an abundance of brilliant centre-backs. There is no Rio Ferdinand in the current squad, no John Terry, no central defender that screams world-class.
Gary Cahill, Phil Jones, Michael Keane, Chris Smalling and John Stones provide the centre-back options for Southgate as things stand, and there is no question that Maguire deserves a spot in that list after a wonderful last 12 months.
Congratulations, Harry! 🦁🦁🦁
After coming through the youth system at Sheffield United, Maguire went on to make 166 appearances for his local club before joining Hull City in the summer of 2014. He struggled for football in the first half of the 2014-15 campaign, however, and was sent on loan to Wigan Athletic for one month in February 2015.
Maguire’s breakthrough campaign at Hull came during the 2015-16 season, when he made 33 appearances in all competitions, helping the Tigers reach the Premier League.
It had been the subject of debate whether Maguire had the turn of speed or the tactical awareness to operate at the highest level, but he showed his class last season, making 36 appearances in all competitions for Hull, who he also captained in the latter stages of the campaign. Maguire could not prevent the club from being relegated to the Championship, but there is no question that the central defender enjoyed a very strong year.
It was always going to be difficult for Hull to hold onto Maguire this summer, and it was not a surprise when Leicester swooped to sign the 24-year-old on a five-year contract. He scored his first Foxes goal in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, and has settled effortlessly into life at the King Power Stadium.
Southgate paid tribute to Maguire at his official press conference on Thursday afternoon, and hinted that the centre-back would have been included in the squad for the matches against Scotland and France in June had he been fit.
"I thought his performances for Hull were very good. He's very comfortable with the ball and that's the profile for an international defender. It's a good opportunity for us to look at him - he wasn't fit at the end of last season,” said Southgate.
The striking thing about Maguire is his physical abilities. He stands at 6ft 2inches, but the sheer size of his frame makes him appear considerably taller. Strong in the air and tough in the challenge, Maguire, in many ways, is a throwback to what many rough and ready centre-backs have brought before him.
Maguire combines those tools with technical skill, however, showing over the last 12 months that he has the ball-playing abilities needed to thrive at the top level. When reviewing the centre-backs currently in the England set-up, perhaps only Stones is superior when it comes to ability in possession.
Even at this early stage, Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare has claimed that Maguire has the potential to skipper England in the future.
“His communication with the back four has got a lot better and he's improving generally. He seems very level headed. It is something that has come along quite quickly for him but I'm sure he will take it in his stride. I don't see why he couldn't be a future England captain,” said Shakespeare.
It remains to be seen whether Southgate decides to have a look at Maguire in the upcoming internationals against Malta and Slovakia, but his selection in the squad suggests that he is very much in consideration for the 2018 World Cup.
Maguire has without question earned his stripes. He was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year for three straight seasons during his time at Sheffield United, in addition to their Player of the Year on three occasions. The defender also landed the Fans’ Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season at Hull last term after his brilliant contribution.
Whether Maguire can make the step from impressive Premier League defender to international footballer is a question that will be answered over the next 12 months or so. There was some surprise when his name was included in Southgate’s squad, but when analysing his performances, and considering the other options available, it was a no-brainer.
From the Sheffield United academy to England footballer, it has been a brilliant rise for Maguire, and he could have a key role to play for the national team in years to come.
