The Manchester United defender has been enjoying an extended break after missing out on England’s World Cup squad this summer
Harry Maguire revealed that Manchester United monitors players’ fitness with detailed training schedules and GPS tracking, after he missed out on a World Cup call‑up and is experiencing his longest break in years. The defender was a surprise omission from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad this summer.
At the time, Maguire didn’t hide his disappointment, releasing a statement on social media to express how he felt. “I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had,” he wrote.
“I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players, all the best this summer.”
The 33-year-old missed a second straight major tournament after being ruled out of Euro 2024 with a calf injury. When fit, he remained a regular in United’s starting XI throughout last season.
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United have ensured that players not involved in international duty are following a detailed programme to maintain their fitness levels, with each player also equipped with a GPS tracker that sends data back to the club. Maguire said that players will report for pre‑season training on July 9; however, it’s understood the date will actually be Wednesday, July 8th.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, which is being recorded in New York, Maguire described what he called an ‘unusual’ off‑season.
“We are back in I think Wednesday the 9th [of July],” he said. “This is the longest [break] I’ve had since I made my England debut. It’s been nice, but it’s been strange.
“I’ll have had six-and-a-half-weeks off but then to be honest, the pre-season – I normally get about three weeks before the first game, this year I’m going to have six-and-a-half-weeks so I’ve got a long way to build up.
“Man United send you a schedule, they send you a GPS to make sure that you’re doing it. Yeah, they keep on top of you.”
Michael Carrick will oversee his first pre‑season as head coach, with United set to play friendlies across several European countries this summer. Matches are scheduled in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Poland throughout July and August.
Their tour begins on July 18 with a meeting against Wrexham in Helsinki. United then travel to Trondheim to face Rosenborg on July 24, before taking on Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on August 1.
Further fixtures follow against Paris Saint‑Germain in Gothenburg on August 8, Leeds United at Dublin’s Croke Park on August 12, and AC Milan in Wroclaw on August 15.
The Premier League campaign then gets underway shortly after, with United opening their season on Saturday, August 22, away to newly‑promoted Hull City in a 12:30pm kick‑off.
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