The Overlap: Harry Maguire still 'cannot watch' 2018 World Cup semi-final defeat
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire says he still cannot watch England's 2-1 extra-time defeat by Croatia at the 2018 World Cup, as it is too painful.
The United captain, 28, was a key part of the Three Lions' unlikely run to the last four in Russia, scoring in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Sweden.
He is now a doubt for their opening game of Euro 2020 against their World Cup conquerors because of an ankle injury.
Speaking to The Overlap YouTube channel Maguire revealed it is not just the defeat by Croatia he will not watch back, but also some of the nerve-jangling victories.
"The Columbia game was massive for us. We should have really won it in normal time. And then to reach the quarter-final and we get Sweden and then all of a sudden we, we believe that we, we can, we can go and win this," he said.
"I look back at Croatia and I still, I still feel a bit disappointed, should be a good memory to reach a World Cup semi-final but I can’t really watch it back because it makes me feel disappointed.
"I can remember the feeling at half-time and that’s probably where we went wrong, we probably felt like we were nearly there. We played really well in the first half, we probably should have been more than one goal ahead.
"In the second half, we just couldn’t keep the ball. We probably didn’t have that experience of playing in these big games, and these big tournaments to see out the semi-final, so I look back at it as disappointment just because I do feel that we could have done that little bit more."
Maguire's performances at the tournament helped clinch a big-money move from Leicester, although he would have to wait until the following year as the Foxes held firm on their £80m valuation.
While in 2018 he was an international - and arguably even top-flight - rookie, should he recover in time he will be one of England's elder statesmen this summer.
That lack of experience is something he now suspects proved helpful at the time. This time around he is hoping to benefit from his 2018 showing.
"One competitive game, a few friendlies and then I found myself playing in the biggest tournament in the world," said Maguire.
"I look back and I think it probably helped me, I didn’t feel the pressures of a World Cup as daft as it sounds. I didn’t put that much pressure on myself to make sure that I went and performed to the highest level. I was there on merit, I knew that, but I went there and enjoyed it."
The Overlap is a new YouTube channel from Gary Neville in partnership with Sky Bet.