sport news Gareth Southgate's call to start Harry Maguire was bold and he produced a ...

sport news Gareth Southgate's call to start Harry Maguire was bold and he produced a ...
sport news Gareth Southgate's call to start Harry Maguire was bold and he produced a ...

It was 30 minutes before kick-off and England's warm up had just started when it became evident a significant conversation was taking place on the pitch.

As the squad loosened up, drilling balls to each other and stretching legs, Harry Maguire stood with Graeme Jones, one of Gareth Southgate's coaching staff, and looked pensive. Jones, was more relaxed and offered encouragement and assurance.

The discussion ended with Jones rattling his hand into Maguire's chest three times, as if to say 'don't worry'.

Harry Maguire had a positive impact on England as he returned from his injury at Wembley

Harry Maguire had a positive impact on England as he returned from his injury at Wembley

But he was worried. You didn't have to be a body language expert for the next 15 minutes to realise that Maguire was not comfortable. Whether it was in the shuttle runs to get the legs going in or during a passing exercise with Kyle Walker, his brow was continually furrowed.

For a few fleeting moments, as the starting line-up played a small-sided game, things became even more pronounced. Each time Maguire moved or made a pass, he followed it with a little hop and flicked out his left foot, the kind you do if you are trying to shake away pins and needles.

There was no panic from any of the coaching entourage who were watching yet Maguire, plainly, was not at 100 per cent fitness. He had warned this would be the case last week when taking on media duties but, even still, it was a situation that led eyebrows to raise.

Imagine if the worst had happened? Given how testing the previous 24 hours had been for Southgate, the sight of the Manchester United man retreating gingerly before the meaningful action against the Czech Republic had started would have been a total calamity.

Maguire is not yet fully up to speed but got in valuable minutes and looked solid at the back

Maguire is not yet fully up to speed but got in valuable minutes and looked solid at the back

Maguire, in terms of physical fitness, is behind his colleagues. It is 44 days since he rolled his left ankle in a tumble with Aston Villa forward Anwar El-Ghazi and the injury was so severe that the 28-year-old explained he would be feeling its impact for many more 'weeks and months'.

But it gives you an idea how highly-regarded he is by Southgate that the man in charge was prepared to put his trust in Maguire for a fixture of this significance. He needed every single second available,

read more from dailymail.....

PREV sport news Latvia defender scores outrageous own goal after just 14 seconds as Marcis Oss ... trends now
NEXT sport news Golf super agent Hughes Norton tells Daily Mail how 'zombie-like' Tiger Woods ... trends now