Harry Maguire hits at the rise of 'soft penalties as Man United and England defender calls on Premier League to raise threshold for spot-kick awards

Harry Maguire has called connected nan Premier League to benignant retired nan messiness astir ‘soft penalties’ and wants them to lead nan measurement by raising nan period for spot-kick awards.

The England and Manchester United defender says it is ‘ridiculous’ what now constitutes a penalty, astatine location and abroad.

Maguire saw team-mate Rico Lewis punished for brushing nan look of a North Macedonia subordinate erstwhile jumping to caput nan shot during Monday’s 1-1 tie successful Skopje.

And nan 30-year-old believes it is nan PGMOL who person to show nan remainder of nan world really to officiate successful nan punishment area, particularly aft a spate of accidental handball awards.

‘For me, penalties successful nan past six months aliases a twelvemonth aliases so, particularly successful nan Premier League, each complete nan world really, nan Champions League, they are fixed for anything,’ said Maguire. ‘They are truthful soft. They are making life truthful difficult for defenders to take sides nan measurement it should be.

‘You should beryllium capable to defend, you should beryllium capable to move your arm, you should beryllium capable to move your body, you should beryllium capable to make contact, you should beryllium capable to move your hands and get there.

‘Nowadays, penalties are fixed for everything. Absolutely for everything. I understand it’s an important portion of nan crippled - what should beryllium a penalty, what shouldn’t beryllium a punishment - but there’s acold excessively galore soft penalties fixed astatine nan moment.

‘I deliberation nan period of giving penalties decidedly needs to change. And I deliberation nan Premier League, nan biggest convention successful nan world, needs to commencement it, request to travel up pinch something, because I’ve seen immoderate penalties successful nan Premier League since nan commencement of this play which, for me, are conscionable ridiculous.

‘It’s not conscionable astatine my club, I spot them fixed for handballs wherever I don’t cognize wherever lads are expected to put their arms. Minimal interaction too, it’s a interaction sport.

‘Starting pinch nan biggest convention successful nan world, which is nan Premier League, they request to group nan modular and nan period needs to beryllium a small spot higher than it is astatine nan moment.’

Maguire has been successful bully shape for nine and state of precocious but did not bask 1 of his amended nights against North Macedonia, fortunate not to springiness distant a punishment successful nan first half erstwhile stumbling into an attacker and knocking him over. The incident was compared to Boris Johnson’s infamous SoccerAid foul successful immoderate quarters.

But Maguire said: ‘Listen, I cognize I’m appreciated successful nan dressing room. I cognize I’m appreciated successful nan shot world, coaches, players, nan support I person from ex-players, managers. And I cognize I’m appreciated pinch nan England fans, who I person made galore memories pinch complete nan years and that’s nan astir important point for me.’

Meanwhile, Jack Grealish was different below-par performer successful Skopje and he is good alert of nan title for places successful wide areas, particularly pinch nan exiled Raheem Sterling playing truthful good astatine Chelsea.

‘He (Sterling) is evidently playing really good astatine nan moment,’ said Grealish. ‘So are nan likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and I consciousness for illustration I americium playing good astatine nan moment. I americium conscionable not having immoderate luck successful beforehand of extremity astatine nan infinitesimal and (offside extremity against Macedonia) showed that.

‘But location are truthful galore bully players. Cole Palmer has travel successful this campy and done really well, Jarrod Bowen is doing really well, truthful location is monolithic title successful those attacking places, but that is what you want.’