Wayne Rooney has revealed the importance of England manager Thomas Tuchel recalling Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire to the Three Lions’ international squad.
Neither Kobbie Mainoo nor Harry Maguire have featured under Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions since the England boss replaced Sir Gareth Southgate in 2025.
Tuchel announced his Three Lions squad last Friday and midfielder Mainoo and defender Maguire were called up for England for the March international break.
England will play both Uruguay and Japan in international friendly matches at Wembley ahead of their World Cup campaign in North America this summer.
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Kobbie Mainoo at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, in 2026.
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Kobbie Mainoo at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, in 2026.
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Wayne Rooney reacts to the Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire news and Thomas Tuchel’s England plan
Thomas Tuchel made the all-important call to name a 35-player England squad and the Three Lions camp would be divided under his watch for the March break.
Speaking on his podcast, Wayne Rooney thinks the 52-year-old German head coach has made the smart call to split the camp to explore all of his options for England.
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Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer said that the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire could benefit from the approach that England boss Tuchel has taken.
“And then I really like what he’s done this week, I think, you know, picking 35 men,” he explained on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show.
“He said he’s splitting the camp into two, which gives him opportunities to see players he hasn’t seen.
“And there will be players in there who I think deserve to be in there now, as Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, both from United, obviously.
“I think they’ve done really well of late. And he’s going to see everyone.”
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Harry Maguire celebrating at Anfield
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Why Thomas Tuchel called up 35 England players and his reason behind the two camps for the Three Lions
England will face Uruguay first on Friday at Wembley and the Three Lions host Japan on 31st March before turning their attention to their World Cup preparations.
The Three Lions will face Costa Rica on 10th June in one final international friendly before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on 17th June.
Speaking after the England squad announcement last week, Tuchel said that he had made a strategic call to bring 35 players into the England squad for the March break.
“That sounds a lot,” he told The Football Association’s website.
“Actually, it is 19 outfield player[s] and four-goalkeeper squad from Tuesday to Saturday and then I think it’s 22 outfield players and three or four goalkeepers in the second match, so nobody needs to sit on the tribune in none of the matches.
“Everyone finds a place in the squad and everyone gets also the focus that everyone deserves to have – that’s why we split it up.”
Mainoo and Maguire might have made the England squad for United, but teammates Luke Shaw and Mason Mount were unable to climb back into the Three Lions fold.
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