Harry Maguire Admits Disappointment at Being Dropped From England Squad

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has admitted that while he understands Gareth Southgate's decision, he is still 'disappointed' to have been dropped from the England squad after his incident in Mykonos.

The 27-year-old was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery and was recently handed a 21 month and ten day suspended sentence as a result. This came after an altercation with Greek police in Mykonos. However, Maguire has successfully appealed for a retrial, meaning the initial verdict has been nullified for the time being.

Despite this, England boss Southgate made the decision to remove Maguire from the squad for their upcoming Nations League games after he was initially found guilty, despite selecting him beforehand. Southgate claimed at the time that it was best for all parties involved to drop the defender.

In a recent interview (his first since the incident) with the BBC, Maguire opened up on a number of topics - including being dropped from the Three Lions squad. The United man was keen to thank Southgate for the faith and trust he has placed in him, but explained that he was of course disappointed to be removed.

"I understand why but obviously I’m disappointed. I love playing for my country," Maguire said.

"Gareth has shown great faith in me. I have played every time I’ve been available and I know how much he respects me and the trust he has shown in me.

"They [Southgate and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer] have shown great support to me. They've been great, they have been on the phone and I thank them for that."

Man Utd's first team are due to return for pre-season training next week as they begin preparations for the 2020/21 season. Despite still fighting his corner regarding his conviction, Maguire was keen to stress that he won't let this impact his performances on the field.

He added: "No, I don’t think it will affect my performances. I find it tough to speak about it...obviously it's been a tough time...I’m physically good and I’m mentally strong. I feel I can get over this."

There have been calls in recent times for Maguire to be removed as United captain, but the club are expected to stick with the former Leicester man as they support his version of events.