Maguire Stresses 'Magic Moments' As Key To Tournament Success For England

Harry Maguire emphasises that tournaments hinge on crucial moments as England start their preparations for Euro 2024. Under Gareth Southgate, England's performance in major tournaments has significantly improved. The Three Lions reached their first major tournament final at Euro 2020 since winning the 1966 World Cup. They also made it to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-final in the 2022 edition, losing to Croatia and France, respectively.

Maguire has been a key player for England in their recent tournaments and acknowledges that fine margins often determine the outcome. "I think all three of the games we've lost in those tournaments could have gone either way," Maguire told Sky Sports. "Playing a tournament is totally different to playing league football - it's built on moments, and you've got to make sure you're there within the game to let the moments take over. That's where your big players come to play and produce those magic moments. You just need to make sure you're there to make it and perform on the day to give yourself an opportunity to go and win."

England are now aiming to surpass their performance at Euro 2020, where they lost on penalties to Italy in the final at Wembley Stadium. When asked about the significance of winning the trophy, Maguire said, "It would mean absolutely everything... We haven't lifted a trophy in a long, long time - but we've been close. It's a good time to be an England player. We feel we're in a good moment and it's a tournament I'm looking forward to - we're going there to win."

England will kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on June 16. They will also face Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.