On “The Rest is Football” podcast, Manchester United center-back Maguire discussed how Tuchel informed him via video call that he had not been selected for the World Cup squad.

Maguire revealed: “He (Tuchel) video-called everyone. It was quite an awkward call. I first received a message asking if he could talk to me around 4 PM. It was quite a unique approach, and certainly difficult, because he could see everyone’s reactions.

“I said directly that I was really very disappointed. I felt I had done well enough to deserve to be in the squad, and I felt I could have helped the team, playing a role on and off the pitch. He said he couldn’t give me any excuses, but he chose the four players who had helped him through a difficult period last autumn.

“It was hard to accept. After being called up by him for the first time in the March training camp, I did think I would be in the squad. I performed well in both games and then returned to Manchester United, finishing the season with a very strong performance.”

Tuchel ultimately chose to take Stones, Guehi, Konsa, Quansah, and Dan Burn to the World Cup.

No Plans to Retire from England Duty
Furthermore, even with Tuchel’s contract extending to Euro 2028, Maguire is unwilling to close the door on playing for England.

He added: “I don’t think I’ll retire from England duty. I still feel I can shine. Sooner or later there will be a time and a point where I no longer deserve to be selected for England, but even then, I most likely won’t proactively step out and announce my retirement. If I can play for England one more time, it will all be worth it.”

Maguire will use the off-season to fully recover and prepare for Manchester United’s return to the Champions League in the 2026-27 season. While his England teammates face the immense pressure of a major international tournament, the experienced defender will strive to maintain his excellent club form. If he is to earn a recall to the England squad later this year, proving his endurance in the Premier League remains crucial.

Bukayo Saka said that Arsenal’s critics were “not laughing at us anymore” as the club celebrated their first Premier League title in more than two decades.

Gunners players and staff gathered at the club’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday to watch closest challengers Manchester City draw 1-1 away to Bournemouth—a result which gave Arsenal an unassailable four-point lead at the top of the table with just Sunday’s final round of matches remaining.

As the Arsenal squad relished the club’s first Premier League title since 2004, there were also joyous scenes at the north London side’s Emirates Stadium, where thousands of supporters gathered to mark the occasion by lighting fireworks and flares.

Arsenal, runners-up in the league for the previous three seasons, had faced accusations of “bottling” their title bid, with several observers questioning their temperament and ability to handle pressure following a 2-1 defeat at City on April 19.

But while City subsequently drew at Everton and then at Bournemouth, Arsenal won their next four league games without conceding a goal.

Arteta, who rejoined Arsenal as manager in December 2019 with the club in dire straits, installed a blacked-out Premier League trophy at Colney which would light up only when the Gunners won the title

“Light that up,” Saka said in footage posted by defender Jurrien Timber on his Instagram account.

“Let me tell you something. Twenty-two years, 22 years. there was laughing, there was joking, they’re not laughing anymore,” the England international added. “Look, it is going to be shining, it is going to be shining bright.”

In an Instagram post, this time on Saka’s channel, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly was seen holding a champagne bottle.

“They called us bottlers,” said Lewis-Skelly who, like Saka, came through the club’s Hale End Academy youth system. “And now we’re holding the bottle.”

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger featured in a celebratory post put out by his old side.

The Frenchman, who won three Premier League titles with the Gunners, including the 2004 ‘Invincibles’, said: “You did it. Champions go on when others stop. This is your time. Now, go on and enjoy every moment.”

City manager Pep Guardiola, who had Arteta as his assistant for two of the Manchester club’s league titles, paid tribute to his fellow Spaniard.

“On behalf of everyone at Manchester City, we congratulate Mikel and all the staff, players and fans on winning the Premier League,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “They deserve it, for so much hard work and effort.”

Arsenal will be presented with the Premier League trophy after their final match of the domestic season at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Gunners could yet end the campaign with an impressive double when they go in search of their first Champions League title against Paris Saint-Germain in a Budapest final on May 30.

AFP

A women right group, ‘The Women Advocates’ (TWA) has petitioned the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu over male domination of elective and appointive positions in Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency II ahead of the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

In a petition addressed to the wife of the president, the group sought the intervention of the First Lady over what it described as total neglect of the women folks in aspiring for the House of Representatives seat from the constituency.

The group in the petition which was jointly signed by its coordinator, Adejoke Olaogun and Secretary Helen Nwachukwu respectively noted with dismay that since the advent of the second republic in 1999, no female politician has been given the opportunity to represent the constituency at the House of Representatives.

The group listed six male politicians who have represented the constituency to include Gbolahan Okuneye, Jaiyeola Ajatta, Hakeem Muniru, Tony Nwulu, Ganiu Johnson and now currently Okey Joe Onuakalusi.

The Women Advocates said the total domination of elective and appointive positions by male politicians in the constituency negates the gender equality and all-inclusive principle of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who recently supported constitutional amendment initiated by the National Assembly for increased women’s participation in governance by advocating for at least 35% affirmative action in elective and appointive positions.

The initiative of the National Assembly also gained the affirmation of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress APC (APC) which officially pushed for reduced political hostility, greater inclusion in leadership and also introduced initiatives like ‘774 Explore’ for grassroot mobilization, aiming to boost female representation ahead of the 2027 elections.

“For this obvious gender imbalance, we are constrained to seek your intervention in addressing this anomaly. Being gender-friendly and a strong advocate of women’s inclusion in governance, we are convinced your timely intervention would restore hope of leadership opportunities for the women folks who are expectedly to mobilize extensively for the re-election bid of the president in 2027,” the petition read in part.

It continued: “To this end, we earnestly solicit consideration of female aspirants as APC candidates in a fair and equitable manner ahead of the forthcoming party primaries across the 25 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in Lagos particularly in Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency II where we lost the last House of Representatives election to the Labour Party (LP).”

The group specifically appealed for support for Angela Yinka Akintunde as a candidate for the House of Representatives seat in Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency II, describing her candidacy as a step toward bridging the gender gap in elective offices.

Women Advocates further urged party leaders and stakeholders to embrace inclusivity and fairness in the forthcoming primaries, emphasizing that equitable representation would enhance political development and social progress in the state