Wayne Rooney believes Harry Maguire was “very unlucky” to miss out on Thomas Tuchel’s England national football team squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Maguire, who has earned 66 caps for England and featured prominently at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, had hoped to return to the international stage after recovering from the injury that ruled him out of Euro 2024.
Speaking on his podcast, Rooney admitted he was surprised by the decision to leave the Manchester United F.C. defender out of the squad, especially given his recent form.
Rooney suggested Tuchel may have opted for Dan Burn instead, possibly believing Maguire would not play a major role during the tournament.
The former England captain also backed Tuchel’s overall squad choices, including his preference for Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham over players like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Rooney added that managing expectations around Bellingham could become one of Tuchel’s biggest challenges during the tournament, describing the Real Madrid CF midfielder as a “maverick” capable of producing decisive moments on the world stage.
