World Cup

England defender Harry Maguire hopeful of World Cup place

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 14 April 2018

Harry Maguire intends to finish the season strongly with Leicester City to nail down a spot in England's backline in time for the World Cup.

Leicester City defender Harry Maguire has admitted that representing England at the World Cup finals would be "an honour".

The 25-year-old has featured four times at senior level for the Three Lions, helping to keep clean sheets against Brazil, Germany, Lithuania and the Netherlands.

Maguire is in strong contention to feature at the back for England come their opening game of the tournament against Tunisia on June 18, and the centre-back will use the final weeks of the Premier League season to help strengthen his case.

"Obviously it's going to be an honour, if I do get chosen, to be in the World Cup," he told Sky Sports News. "I've been in every squad this season, Gareth [Southgate] has shown great faith and trust in me, so I've just got to work hard from now until the end of the season and see where it takes me.

"If I keep performing how I have done, stay fit and fresh, then hopefully I'm there. It drives you on all season when you see the end rewards, first and foremost for your club, and then obviously to play at a World Cup is the pinnacle of anybody's career. To play for your nation at a World Cup is something you only dream of when you are a kid and I feel like I'm on the ladder to try to get there.

"I haven't played three at the back this year for Leicester but I manged to play it quite a bit last year for Hull under Steve Bruce. It's a formation that's been working well in recent years.

"You've seen Chelsea, they won the league playing it really well and if you get it right you can be successful and fingers crossed if we do play three at the back at the World Cup we're successful doing it."

Maguire has helped Leicester to eight clean sheets in 32 Premier League appearances this season.