HARRY MAGUIRE vowed his ongoing Greek court case nightmare will not affect him on the pitch.
The Manchester United skipper links up with his team-mates when they return to training on Monday.
Harry Maguire says he will not let his Greek nightmare affect his performancesCredit: PA:Press Association
The Manchester United skipper was axed from the England squad after a guilty verdict Credit: Twitter
And their first Premier League game is against Crystal Palace on September 19.
Maguire is fighting to clear his name with an appeal after being found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult in Mykonos.
He said: “I find it tough to speak about it. But my family would say I have probably been the strongest.
“It will not affect my performances. I will get over it pretty quickly. It has been a whirlwind of a few days.
“I will put it to one side. When I speak about it I get a bit worked up because it makes me feel angry.”
The defender, 27, now faces a retrial which could drag on for weeks.
He should be linking up with England on Monday.
Harry Maguire played more minutes than any other footballer in the world in 2019-20
But after being named in the squad for Nations League games in Iceland and Denmark, boss Gareth Southgate removed him after the guilty verdict was announced.
Maguire thanked United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and England chief Southgate for being so supportive.
But he admitted speaking to both ahead of the initial court case was difficult.
He said: “It was really hard. I have great respect for both and they have been magnificent for my career.
“Gareth showed great faith in me since giving me my debut. The club have been great with me and I thank them for that.
“My main focus is family but the best thing after that is football, so playing for United is something I love.”
Maguire, capped 26 times by England, was gutted to be axed from the squad.
He added: “I love playing for my county but, mentally, I’ll get over this.”
In a BBC interview, Maguire was asked if he was worried some fans might think he is lying about the events in Mykonos.
He added: “It doesn’t bother me. My conscience is clear.”
Harry Maguire denies being drunk during Mykonos brawl and says ‘I can handle a few drinks’
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
