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The hesitation was telling, the first word something of a filler. The question may well have been one Gareth Southgate also asked. Why, when there was the chance of a move to West Ham, the prospect of first-team football and the opportunity of something equating to a new start, did Harry Maguire opt to stay at Manchester United? “Erm,” he began. “Well, I think it was a bit of both. Erm… how can I put this? We just didn’t come to an agreement and they were happy for me to stay and I was happy to fight for my place. I want to do that and every time I train or play I will give everything.” Which scarcely felt the most convincing of explanations, even if it hinted at a hold-up. The bare facts are that United accepted a £30m bid from West Ham; there was agreement there. Where the three parties could not all concur, then, was on the issues of remuneration and recompense. Maguire’s wages actually went up this summer, as a result of United’s qualification for the Champions League. West Ham were unlikely to pay him at a rate commensurate with a status as the world’s most expensive centre-back. The sense is that a pay-off was required but not agreed. It is not the only factor, as Maguire suggested. Erik ten Hag has demoted the 30-year-old, first from the team, then from the club captaincy. But he has never forced him out. The United manager wants two players for every position; he sees Maguire as one of his centre-back options. Admittedly, he often seems fifth in line: Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez became established as the preferred pairing last season, with Victor Lindelof a reasonably reliable deputy. Ten Hag is reluctant to use Maguire on the left and would rather field Luke Shaw there. To the outsider, the prognosis for Maguire looks bleak. Yet he has confounded expectations before: playing in League One at 21, he was a World Cup semi-finalist four years later. Footballers require a belief in their ability; there have been times on the pitch in the last two years when Maguire has looked to be suffering from a crisis of confidence but he sounded positive. “At club football, I want to play games, I want to play football,” he said. “The first four weeks were hard because it was one game a week and the manager didn’t select me but we have lots of games coming up now and I am sure I will play lots of games.” His first appearance of the campaign came as a substitute at Arsenal; with Shaw and Varane injured, his next outings may depend on whether Martinez, who came off at the Emirates Stadium, is also sidelined. His last game brought an own goal, benefitting Scotland. Southgate came to the centre-back’s defence after an evening of mockery at Hampden Park when it seemed as though Scotland’s new national sport is taunting Maguire. Nevertheless, his job would be easier if Maguire had joined West Ham, just as it would be had Jordan Henderson not signed for Al-Ettifaq. Leaving Old Trafford would have been a way of protecting his international place. “Of course, my England career is a big priority,” Maguire countered. “And so is my club career. I considered everything and I know, at the moment, when I have not started a game in the first four games of the season, the story comes to me. I finished off last season with two very strong performances for England and I have played in all five matches to help put us where we are in qualifying, so I need to keep performing when I get chosen.” And yet he can feel a part-time footballer, playing for country more than club. Maguire denied rustiness was a problem against Scotland, saying Southgate was very happy with his performance against Ukraine. His night in Glasgow, however, was notable for the reaction of the Scotland supporters and the goal he dispatched past Aaron Ramsdale. “Obviously, I am disappointed with the own goal but that is football,” Maguire said. “You are a centre-back and you put yourselves in those positions. I am really pleased with how I performed in the second half and how I dealt with it. Little things can go against you and one moment went against me. That is part and parcel of a defender.” Sadly for Maguire, he was already ridiculed at Hampden even before he accidentally converted Andy Robertson’s cross. He found an advantage among the ridicule. “It pretty much takes the pressure away from my teammates and puts it all on myself,” he said. “I would not say I am a person who struggles with pressure mentally, I have been through a lot in the last couple of years.” If anything, that felt an understatement. The next year assumes an importance, too. Southgate’s faith in Maguire appears unyielding, but a season on the sidelines at United could test it anyway. By opting not to leave, Maguire risked his place at Euro 2024. “It is way too far away to consider,” he argued. “I take everything as each week goes by.” But he could do with some good weeks at the club he perhaps should have quit. Read More Harry Maguire says he can deal with pressure after ‘banter’ from Scotland fans Bale shows his golf skills and Stokes goes big – Wednesday’s sporting social Criticism has not affected Harry Maguire, says England team-mate Aaron Ramsdale ‘Top-level’ England are the benchmark for improving Scotland – Lewis Ferguson Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire criticism ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’ Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself

Stocks in Asia broadly climbed on cautious optimism the Federal Reserve may pause rate hikes following the US

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un to visit North Korea after the two

More than 5,300 people died after dam bursts brought devastating floods to the eastern city of Derna.

England boss Sarina Wiegman has stressed the need to celebrate Spain’s players as the saga regarding Luis Rubiales’ actions after their World Cup triumph rumbles on. Rubiales, who resigned as Spanish football federation president at the weekend, has been at the centre of a furore after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation following La Roja’s 1-0 victory over England in the World Cup final on August 20. While Rubiales insists the kiss was consensual, Hermoso has said it was not. She submitted a complaint to the national prosecutor’s office last week, and it has been reported that an investigation into Rubiales has been opened by a high court judge. The 46-year-old resigned having already been suspended by FIFA pending an investigation into his behaviour. Wiegman dedicated her UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year award to Spain’s players on August 31, and said the team deserved to be celebrated. And she echoed that when asked about the Rubiales saga at a press conference on Wednesday, saying: “I think what I want to talk about now is that we have to celebrate football and that we should celebrate the players, the Spanish players who won the World Cup – and we haven’t been talking about that at all. “Of course we all have seen and followed the news, that things are still going on, and I would like to leave that now with the people who are working on that, and celebrate those players. Players need to be listened to, and we need to move on. “The women’s game has improved so much but there’s still a long way to go, and not only in Spain, but I think everywhere, there’s many, many players, top athletes, who still have a lot of challenges which I think we should work on all together and stay connected and try to make the world better for those players. “I think lots of people have spoken up, male and female, and I hope we keep doing that. “For us, it always starts with performing. We are here as professionals and what we are working on is performing at the highest level, so we have the visibility, and then you have the platform, and especially in the women’s game we feel the urgency, that we can use that platform to hopefully make the world a little bit better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

In Libya, officials say at least 10,000 people are missing and thousands more are displaced.

Almost every country has its own cryptid, from giant bats in Java to enormous water hounds in Ireland.

There are calls for more humanitarian support as victims in Derna are buried in mass graves.

A 32-year-old woman dies and another 12 in hospital after eating sardines in a Bordeaux restaurant.

England boss Sarina Wiegman has said she is “very worried” about the playing calendar after naming her squad for this month’s Women’s Nations League double-header. The Lionesses return to action, after their defeat in the World Cup final on August 20, by facing Scotland in Sunderland a week on Friday and the Netherlands in Utrecht four days later to open their campaign in the new competition. The Arsenal players in her squad – forward Alessia Russo and defender Lotte Wubben-Moy – took part in Champions League qualifying matches last Wednesday and Saturday. Wiegman, whose players started their pre-World Cup preparation camp on June 19, told a press conference on Wednesday when asked if she was concerned about the calendar and time off: “Yes, I am very worried. “I was worried before the World Cup, and we knew this was a very short turnaround. “It’s a bigger thing – we’re all talking about the calendar and we really have to get connected with FIFA, UEFA, the federations, and we have to make that better. “Of course the game is growing, which is really good. But it has to grow together and players need some rest too. “Next week they come in and some players only had six days off, which after such a high-level, high-pressure competition is not good for them. And that has been going on for a long time, because we have major tournaments in the summer all the time. So the urgency to solve it and make it better is really, really high. “The players will come in and we first have to see how they are physically, and we have to get them fresh, and do everything to do that. That’s going to be a challenge. “Of course you have the team and you want to perform at the highest level, and also you want players to be fresh. For me and my staff it’s balancing (the) two – is this player fit enough, fresh enough, to play the game? That’s balancing, it’s so intense, and players are not robots.” She added: “I’ve talked to coaches. I think everyone’s aware that we have to speak with each other and we can do a little better, and we all know it’s pretty complex. “But I think conversations are going on, and we just need to keep doing that and hopefully find better solutions than we had.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has returned to the club after recovering from his recent back operation. The PA news agency understands the Catalan has now resumed duties after three weeks away. Assistant boss Juanma Lillo took charge of first-team affairs as the 52-year-old travelled to Spain to undergo a routine procedure last month. In Guardiola’s absence the treble winners beat Sheffield United and Fulham to maintain their 100 per cent start in the Premier League. City’s squad were beginning to reconvene on Wednesday following the international break. They return to Premier League action at West Ham on Saturday before their latest Champions League campaign begins at home to Red Star Belgrade next Tuesday. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Republican lawmaker was asked to leave a Colorado theatre for alleged disruptive behaviour.