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1 month ago
18 Harry Maguire believes England’s chances of winning Euro 2024 will come down to ‘magic moments’, which tends to be the case whenever a team wins a major competition.
The Three Lions have come close at recent tournaments under Gareth Southgate, but there is a feeling that this could be his last chance to deliver silverware as national team boss. They reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the final of Euro 2020 and the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Southgate will be judged this summer on whether he can get England across the line. Otherwise, he is likely to move on to pastures new after the tournament when his contract expires.
Maguires believes international football is all about finding ‘magic moments’ to see you through games.
“I think all three of the games we’ve lost in those tournaments could have gone either way,” Maguire told Sky Sports.
“Playing a tournament is totally different to playing league football – it’s built on moments and you’ve got to make sure you’re there within the game to let the moments take over.
“That’s where your big players come to play and produce those magic moments.
“You just need to make sure you’re there to make it and perform on the day to give yourself an opportunity to go and win.”
After missing the end of United’s season due to injury, Maguire is understood to be undergoing recovery with England in hope of making the squad for Germany.
The same applies to United left-back Luke Shaw.
Maguire knew Bellingham was special
Maguire also revealed that he tried to sway Jude Bellingham towards United after first meeting up with the young midfielder during an England training session.
The centre-back said that he knew within one or two training sessions with Bellingham that he was a special talent United needed to keep an eye on.
Maguire said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Jude, he came to England and I knew within one or two sessions how he’d go.
“I went back to my club and I told them all about him but he took a different path and he’s done really well for Real Madrid. I knew he would when he signed there and long may it continue.”
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