Over the past two seasons, the England national team has been something of a sanctuary for Harry Maguire.
Despite losing form and then his starting place at Manchester United, Maguire has continued to be a mainstay for Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate and impressed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as he had in Russia four years earlier and at Euro 2020.
Southgate defended Maguire's inclusion after he featured in a friendly win over Scotland, then picked him from the start as England beat Italy 3-1 at Wembley Stadium to qualify for Euro 2024.
Speaking in the build-up to the game, Maguire said he was pleased with his form but acknowledged that he wanted more regular first-team football and expected to discuss his future with United in the absence of that materialising.
It all means Maguire's place at next year's European Championship finals is far from secured.
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Will Harry Maguire make England's Euro 2024 squad? Latest odds on defenders
The obvious question is whether Maguire and Southgate can endure another season of such tumult and board the plane together for Euro 2024.
| To be in England's Euro 2024 squad (BetOnSports) | |
| John Stones (Manchester City) | 1/8 |
| Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) | 1/4 |
| Harry Maguire (Manchester United) | 1/3 |
| Levi Colwill (Chelsea)` | 2/5 |
| Lewis Dunk (Brighton) | 2/5 |
| Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan) | 2/1 |
| Ben White (Arsenal) | 6/1 |
| Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) | 7/1 |
| Eric Dier (Tottenham) | 12/1 |
| Adam Webster (Brighton) | 14/1 |
| Max Kilman (Wolves) | 14/1 |
| Lloyd Kelly (Newcastle) | 14/1 |
| Dan Burn (Newcastle) | 16/1 |
| Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea) | 16/1 |
| Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham) | 20/1 |
| James Tarkowski (Everton) | 25/1 |
| Ben Godfrey (Everton) | 33/1 |
John Stones is a clear frontrunner to be England's first-choice centre-back after excelling for Pep Guardiola's treble-winning Manchester City side last season.
Stones returned from injury to start alongside Maguire against Italy. In-form Marc Guehi replaced him as a late substitute, while Lewis Dunk remained on the bench despite winning player of the match in the 1-0 friendly win at home to Australia four days earlier.
Hugely promising Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, 20, was an unused substitute for England and remains without a senior international cap.
This again emphasises the importance of Maguire's experience over a succession of untested options with a tournament fast approaching. Nevertheless, if his situation at United does not improve, a January loan move might be advisable – perhaps to West Ham United, who had a bid accepted for him before the start of the season.
As Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount have found over the past year, Southgate's patience with his old dependables whose club form declines is not infinite. Maguire might be able to look at the relative lack of depth England have at centre-back and cross his fingers, but earning a place on merit and form would be a weight off his and Southgate's mind.
What did Gareth Southgate say about Harry Maguire?
Speaking after the Scotland game, Southgate launched a staunch defence of a player he labelled "a stalwart" for his England sides and lambasted his treatment in the media and beyond.
"From a Scotland fans' point of view, I get it. I have absolutely no complaints with what they did," he said of the home fans at Hampden Park, who jeered the player loudly. "But it's a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time.
"It's a joke. Not by the Scottish fans but by our own commentators, pundits or whatever it is. They've created something that's beyond anything I have ever seen."
The tournament in Germany does not start until June – more than enough time for Maguire to enjoy an upturn in fortune. But his circumstances right now are far from favourable.
He is out of favour with United boss Erik ten Hag, although injury problems at centre-back should mean some opportunities, at least in the short term.
Those could, of course, prove a mixed blessing for a player out of form and operating under the harsh spotlight alluded to by Southgate.
