Harry Maguire may have peaked at World Cup 2022 for England against Wales, with a dashing run through the Dragons' defence.
What happened next was, err, bizarre, to say the least, with ol' Slabhead crossing the ball into no man's land. "Stick to heading, Harry," commentator Guy Mowbray said after the moment of magic (and madness).
Oh Harry, we love you. We're well-used to his dribbling jaunts up the pitch and often they can disrupt the shape of the opposition. But as the Welsh side let the Manchester United captain keep the ball to himself, it almost felt as if Maguire didn't know what to do the further he travelled, assessing options that didn't really present themselves, up until he took the potshot that ended up as a throw-in.
Harry Maguire of England controls the ball against Wales (Image credit: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
It's been the highlight of a poor match so far. Gareth Southgate made multiple changes ahead of the game, giving Phil Foden his first-ever World Cup start, in for Bukayo Saka on the right flank, with Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank in for Raheem Sterling.
Rashford very nearly found the breakthrough in the first 10 minutes, too, breaking beyond the Welsh backline when Harry Kane dropped deep. Danny Ward, however – in for the suspended Wayne Hennessey – rushed out to meet the oncoming Manchester United forward.
England ramped up the intensity around 20 minutes, however, knocking the ball around with a little more confidence as the Welsh backline sat deeper. Still, no breakthrough, though. Maybe England need Maguire to go for another run through the Welsh…
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
