Harry Maguire says he ‘definitely’ wants Gareth Southgate to stay as England manager despite interest from Manchester United.
Earlier this week, reports emerged claiming that Southgate was now Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s No.1 choice to become United boss should Erik ten Hag be sacked.
The 53-year-old is one of the most successful managers in England’s history having guided them to the final of Euro 2020 and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.
United admire his work and Southgate’s contract is up at the end of the year but no decision on his future is expected until after Euro 2024 in the summer.
But if the decision was up to England’s players, then Southgate would remain in charge of the Three Lions and snub interest from Old Trafford.
That’s according to United defender Maguire, who, when asked if the England squad want Southgate to stay on beyond the summer, replied: ‘Yeah, definitely, obviously.
‘We want to be successful in the Euros – we are not looking at the World Cup at the moment – but obviously if we are successful at the Euros, which is our main focus, of course, we want to be successful.
‘If Gareth’s the man to make us be successful then we want him to stay as long as possible. I’ve had a great relationship with him. I’ve been a big part of the success and the progression that we’ve shown as a country.
‘And I’m sure he will say the same thing now, it’s all about winning a trophy. I don’t know what’s going to happen after the Euros, I don’t know if he knows what’s going to happen.
‘But I feel like what he’s done from when he first took over this job to where we are at now, we’ve taken huge strides and he’s a massive part of that.
‘He’s definitely got the recognition and respect of the players, and people who are close to him. And people whose opinions matter to him.’
The Three Lions are one of the favourites to win the Euros and bring football home for the first time since 1966.
There are some fans who would prefer to see someone else in charge of the national team going forward however, especially with so many young world-class talents emerging, but Maguire has total faith in Southgate.
‘Listen, being the England manager is so tough. It’s one of the most scrutinised jobs in the world,’ the 31-year-old, who has 62 caps for his country, added.
‘All you can look at is where we were before he took over, and where we are now. Everyone will say “yeah but we’ve got great talent coming through, better players now”.
‘In previous years we have also had great talent and great players, and we haven’t been successful. So, I think he does deserves a lot of credit.
‘He has taken us a long way and he fully gets a lot of respect from all the players. He’s brilliant. I feel as a group we’re ready to win.
‘If you asked every single player in the squad they’d say the expectation is to win the tournament. I think tournament football is based on big moments and we have the players to produce those big moments.'
England will play against Brazil in a friendly match on Saturday as Southgate seeks to complete his preparations for the upcoming tournament.
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