Harry Maguire isn’t my favourite player and for a long time I wish we had never signed him and didn’t want him anywhere near our club.

A couple of months in to the 2021-22 campaign, we got absolutely thrashed by Liverpool at home. While the whole team, with special mention to Luke Shaw, also had a horror show of a performance, Maguire was horrible that game. He was more culpable for some goals than others but played a part in all five. It was shocking.

Two weeks later, we lost 2-0 to City, and we were awful. It was so depressing. It turned out to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s penultimate game in charge, with captain Maguire doing little to get his team going. He was singled out for criticism in the press and from the fans.

A few days after the derby day defeat he was playing for England in a World Cup qualifier against Albania and scored. There have been a lot of infuriating moments for United fans over the last decade or so, but watching Maguire knee slide and cup his ears in celebration tipped me over the edge. How dare he. The captain of United, seeing us suffer back to back home thrashings against our biggest rivals, and he’s giving it the big ‘un because he scored against… Albania.

With this context in mind, to illustrate how far Maguire has come, I think he’s had a great season for United and I’m really glad he’s sticking around. I wouldn’t necessarily want him in the starting line-up every week but he’s done a great job for us this year.

There have been times when Maguire has been shocking for United but would still get in every England squad. So it’s unfathomable that now, after one of the greatest seasons in his career, he’s been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.

For years now, Maguire has been the easiest player in the country to mock. Every mistake becomes a meme, every defeat somehow circles back to him, and every success is quietly ignored. Yet when England needed calm heads in major tournaments, he was almost always there. When Manchester United took the captaincy off him, left him out of the first XI, he dug in deeper to show what he could do. He wasn’t a disruptive force or negative presence in the dressing room. He just got on with it and as a result he, and United, have reaped the rewards.

United’s return to the Champions League was built on improved defensive resilience and Maguire was central to that turnaround. His leadership became especially important during difficult spells when younger players around him looked overwhelmed.

England reached a World Cup semi-final in 2018 with him at the heart of defence. They reached the final of Euro 2020 with him outstanding throughout the competition. Even during periods where his club form dipped badly, his England performances rarely did.

What adds insult to injury is the fact Dan Burn is going to be on the plane to the States. Burn has had a solid career and a decent season with Newcastle, but Maguire’s experience at elite international level is miles ahead. Maguire has played under the pressure of World Cups, penalty shootouts, knockout football and finals. Burn has never experienced anything close to that intensity for England.

Former United defender Steve Bruce admitted he was “absolutely shocked” by the decision, saying Maguire had “never let England down.” Supporters across social media reacted similarly, with many arguing that even if Maguire was not first choice, his experience alone justified selection.

Maguire himself aired his frustration with the decision, as did his family, which has received some criticism. He said he was “shocked and gutted” after being informed by Tuchel that he would not be travelling to the World Cup. In comments discussed around his appearance with Rio Ferdinand, there was a clear feeling that Maguire believed his performances had earned him a place. It is difficult to disagree with him. He said he was confident he could have played “a major part” for England after the season he had produced.

The reaction from his family showed just how painful the decision was. His mother Zoe described the omission as “disgraceful”, while other family members publicly defended him and questioned how a player with his form and experience could be ignored. His wife Fern also joined in with the criticism.

Football fans often talk about resilience and mentality, but few modern players have shown more of either. He became a symbol of ridicule online, yet somehow kept turning up, kept playing and eventually forced people to reconsider their opinions. Younger England players could actually learn a lot from having someone like him in the dressing room.

Tuchel may eventually be proven right. England might go deep into the tournament without Maguire and this will all be irrelevant. But right now, leaving him behind feels like a mistake driven more by image than football logic. Tournament football is rarely won by fashionable picks or social media favourites. It is won by experienced players who understand pressure, stay calm in chaos and deliver when it matters most.

Harry Maguire has done exactly that for England for nearly a decade. Tuchel’s had a mare.