'England door always open for Maguire'

THOMAS TUCHEL says Harry Maguire will "always be in contention" for England despite overlooking the Manchester United defender for his first camp in charge.

- By SIMON PEACH

The 32-year-old was a key part of Sir Gareth Southgate’s set-up despite enduring some difficult spells at club level, playing in three major tournaments before missing last summer's Euros through injury.

Maguire only won two caps in 2024 and was not selected for Tuchel's first matches in charge of England as the defender dealt with an issue sustained at the start of March.

“I spoke to everyone who was not nominated and was on the (long) list," the head coach said when asked about the 64-cap defender.

“I spoke to all of them to give them my direct feedback, why this is. It was a close decision.