Harry Maguire has said that it will be deemed a ‘failure’ among the squad if England fail to win Euro 2024 next year.
England kicked off their qualification campaign with a 2-1 win over Italy in Naples on Thursday evening before taking on Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.
Goals from Declan Rice and Harry Kane secured the Three Lions’ first win in Italy since 1961, and Maguire opened up on the ‘mindset’ of Gareth Southgate’s side.
“I’m with a mindset of: ‘If we don’t win the tournament, it’s been a failure,’” Maguire said. “We’ve got to qualify first and it’s a tough group. But that’s my mindset. I’ve been at three major tournaments and I’ve come so close. I believe that we have the players to win it.
“We played really well in the World Cup and we got knocked out to a good French team. A French team that we believe we can take on and, if we play them 10 times, we would give them a good game 10 times and probably win more than we lose. However, they’ve proven over the years that they manage to get the job done better than England do.”
While Maguire has been a mainstay for England, he has lost his place in the starting XI at Manchester United this season, though he insists he still has ‘influence’ at Old Trafford, with his last defeat in a game in which he started for the club coming back in September
“In my last nine starts for United, we have won,” he said. “I can’t remember losing a game for United. So my influence is still there.”
Asked whether he felt properly appreciated, Maguire said: “For England, yes, I do,” he said.
“Last season was difficult for the club but I’ve proven myself to Gareth. I’ve made over 50 caps. I’m England’s top-scoring defender [with seven]. I’ve played nearly 200 times for United. I’ve captained the club for three years.
