Harry Maguire was football’s ultimate role model now Greece arrest leaves Man Utd and England with disciplinary dilemma
IF YOU had to name the England footballer most likely to be arrested for allegedly punching a police officer, Harry Maguire would not have been top of your list.
The world’s most expensive defender promised boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he would never cause him a moment’s trouble when he was appointed Manchester United captain in January.
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Man Utd skipper Harry Maguire was seen at snooker star Judd Trump’s birthday bash with some club team-mates
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Harry Maguire was pictured on partner Fern Hawkins’ Instagram as they relaxed on Mykonos
It was Maguire who teamed up with Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson to establish the Players Together initiative to raise £4million for good causes when coronavirus hit.
He even spent lockdown organising food deliveries for the elderly and vulnerable in his home village.
This was the down to earth lad who travelled to France with his friends to support England at Euro 2016 when he was still playing for Hull.
In short, he was football’s ultimate role model.
So the news that old slab ’ead had spent the night in a Mykonos nick will have come like a bolt out of the blue for Solskjaer and England boss Gareth Southgate.
Now both managers must decide what to do with a player who is central to their plans for the upcoming season.
They certainly cannot take any disciplinary action until the full facts behind Maguire’s arrest have been established.
But it is difficult to see how Southgate can include him in his squad for the forthcoming Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark.
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Centre-back Harry Maguire became an England hero at the 2018 World Cup, most notably when he scored against SwedenCredit: EPA
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Harry Maguire has gone from the glory of this quarter-final goal against Sweden to giving his club and country bosses a disciplinary headacheCredit: AP:Associated Press
It is bad enough that the squad will be announced on Tuesday, at the same time Jack Grealish was due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.
The Aston Villa captain had been widely tipped for his first England call-up until he was charged with driving without due care and attention and failing to report a collision.
The court yesterday rescheduled his hearing to November 12 — three days before England take on Belgium in the Nations League.
Now it is almost impossible for disciplinarian Southgate to consider football’s first Covidiot.
Let’s not forget Kyle Walker being caught bang to rights ignoring lockdown rules to invite a couple of hookers to his flat.
Southgate has never shied away from making difficult decisions during his four years as the national manager.
He was instrumental in helping set up the FA’s Respect code of conduct, which specifically precludes physical assault and intimidating behaviour.
When Raheem Sterling instigated a scrap with England team-mate Joe Gomez last year, Southgate did not hesitate to leave the Manchester City star out of the Euro qualifier against Montenegro, no matter what his importance to the team is.
He hauled James Maddison over the coals when the Leicester midfielder pulled out of an England game through injury and then spent the night in a casino.
And Wayne Rooney never started another game for his country after gatecrashing a wedding party at the England hotel, reportedly the worse for wear.
The FA have a chequered history dealing with disciplinary issues surrounding their players.
Long before Southgate became boss, Manchester United striker Alan Smith was ejected from the England squad in 2003 when he was charged with throwing a plastic bottle into the crowd at Elland Road.
Then it emerged his replacement James Beattie was in the middle of a 30-month drink-driving ban.
So when Steven Gerrard was arrested for a bar-room brawl in 2009, the FA changed the rules so only convicted players were excluded.
Now it is Maguire’s turn to be left sweating on his fate after being shipped from the party island of Mykonos to face charges by the public prosecutor.
Both Southgate and Solskjaer will know Maguire’s alleged crime is completely out of character.
Too many players dropped their guard the minute the season was over, many appearing to forget all social distancing advice to make the most of their brief summer break.
Yet they cannot ignore the fact that he has let himself down at a time when footballers’ behaviour is under scrutiny like never before.
They have been kept on the tightest of leashes throughout the lockdown, insulated in a bio-secure bubble to allow the game to keep going.
But too many players have dropped their guard the minute the season was over, with many appearing to forget all social distancing advice to make the most of their brief summer break.
Maguire was on holiday with his fiancee, his daughters and other family members.
But he still attended snooker star Judd Trump’s birthday bash with a number of United team-mates.
Premier League clubs have already recorded 14 positive coronavirus tests this week — and that is before quite a few teams even return to training.
The Scottish season has been thrown into chaos by a Celtic player ignoring quarantine rules and eight Aberdeen players drinking in a crowded bar.
Now the fear is that next month’s big kick-off could also be threatened by partying players failing to abide by the rules.
Spending a night in a Greek prison cell is probably not the best way for anyone to test their immune system.
It is safe to say Maguire is going to be subjected to the most rigorous of medical examinations when he finally gets back to England to begin his pre-season training with United.
But a swab up the nose will be nothing compared to the grilling he faces from his angry bosses.
Harry Maguire boozing with Love Island’s Chris Hughes and Lottie Moss in Mykonos before ‘arrest after bust-up with Greek police’ More
