Roy Keane is back on the attack after spending the past month criticising Bruno Fernandes at every opportunity. Now his blunt comments on England squad omissions have dragged Harry Maguire into the spotlight again, after the Manchester United defender said he was "shocked and gutted" by his latest England setback.

Why Keane's latest comments landed on Maguire

Keane's line was as direct as ever: "If you can't get into a squad of 26, that's on you". He added that players who miss out should not blame anyone else, and then went further when asked about Maguire, saying: "I wouldn't listen too much to what Harry has got to say." That is not a fresh public feud in the purest sense, but it is hard to miss the tension. Keane has already admitted he had "crossed the line" with Maguire before and reached out to apologise, which makes this latest swipe feel less like a one-off and more like another chapter in a running United-related disagreement.

Maguire's response was clear enough. He said he was confident he could have played a major part for his country after the season he has had, and added that he has loved nothing more than wearing the shirt. The England defender also posted on social media the day before the squad was announced, which only sharpened the reaction when he was left out again. Thomas Tuchel said he was "a bit surprised" by Maguire's public response.

What Maguire's World Cup role changes

The omission is not the end of Maguire's tournament summer. He will feature as a pundit on Gary Lineker's Netflix show 'The Rest is Football' for this summer's World Cup, watching the Three Lions from the show's studio in Times Square, New York.

That detail matters because England's campaign opens against Croatia on 17 June 2026. Maguire will not be on the pitch for that one, but he will still have a seat in the conversation around it. United's recent results, a 3-0 away win at Brighton and a 3-2 home win over Nottingham Forest, only add to the backdrop around him. For now, though, the story is Keane's tone and Maguire's reaction, not the squad list itself. If Keane wanted to make it sound like a general point about England selection, his comments around Maguire made that a lot harder to believe.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →