Harry Maguire Reveals Thomas Tuchel's FaceTime Omission for England Squad

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 arrived in the most modern, uncomfortable way possible.

The Manchester United defender revealed on The Rest is Football podcast that the Germany head coach opted to deliver the news via FaceTime, one by one, to the players on the selection bubble.

“He FaceTimed everyone. It was quite an awkward call,” Maguire said. “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.”

No meeting at St George’s Park. No phone call from an assistant. A video call, face to face, with a manager who knew exactly how much the decision would sting.

Maguire did not try to hide how he felt.

“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,” he explained. “He said he can't give me an excuse but he had gone with the four lads who got him through the autumn.”

The blow cut deeper because of the timing. Maguire had finally felt the wind at his back again. Tuchel had picked him for the March camp, his first involvement under the new regime, and the 31‑year‑old believed he had answered every question put to him.

“It was tough to take,” he 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.”

From Maguire’s perspective, the arc made sense: back into the squad in March, solid performances for his country, a strong finish at club level. The selection call felt like the final confirmation. Instead, the screen lit up with Tuchel’s face and the opposite message.

The manager’s reasoning was brutally simple: loyalty to the defenders who had carried him through the autumn fixtures. No tactical nuance. No fitness caveat. Just continuity.

For a player with 66 caps and a central role in England’s recent tournament runs, the omission is more than a line on a team sheet. It is a jolt to his international identity. Yet Maguire has refused to sulk in silence.

He has stayed in close contact with the dressing room’s core leadership group – Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Jordan Pickford – making it clear he is still fully behind the squad, even from the outside. The conversations have not been about himself, but about backing the players who did make the cut.

There is no public war of words, no ultimatum, and crucially, no retirement speech.

“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.”

Tuchel is under contract through to Euro 2028, a long horizon for any player in his thirties. Maguire knows the odds. Yet his stance is clear: as long as his body and form allow, the door stays open on his side.

One more cap. One more night in an England shirt. For a defender who has ridden every high and low in the national glare, that target alone might be enough to keep the fire burning.