Harry Maguire withdrawn from England squad after he was found guilty of aggravated assault
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Paul Davies
Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire has vowed to clear his name after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting arrest and bribery by a Greek court.He was withdrawn from the England squad and dropped for upcoming matches against Iceland and Denmark, boss Gareth Southgate said in a statement.
Southgate added: “As I said earlier today, I reserved the right to review the situation.
"Having spoken to Manchester United and the player, I have made this decision in the best interests of all parties and with consideration of the impact on our preparations for next week.”
The footballer was handed a prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days, suspended for three years.
Maguire, who was released from custody over the weekend, was spared custody due to this being his first offence in Greece.
The 27-year-old “continues to strongly assert his innocence” and confirms he intends to appeal the court decision.
"Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing," he said.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter – if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”
It appears the defender, who was not present at his trial on the island of Syros, has the support of his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
A statement was released by Manchester United, saying there is a "substantial body of evidence refuting the charges" against him.
It said the player's defence team was given "minimal time to digest" the evidence against him and the appeal will allow a "full and fair hearing at a later date".
The Football Association has yet to comment on the matter.
Maguire was earlier included in Southgate's England squad, despite uncertainty about what happened the night he was arrested on the Greek island of Mykonos.
But coach Southgate said he would review his decision if the facts changed.
When including Maguire in his squad, coach Gareth Southgate said he would review his decision if the facts changed.
“If facts or information changes I will have to review that decision, but I have a fantastic relationship with the boy, he has been a fantastic character for us – he has my support at this moment," the England coach said earlier in the day.
“I’m not going to get into hypotheticals of what might happen, but I have got to reserve the right to review if further information becomes available."
The prosecution told the court that when Maguire was taken to a police station, he told officers: “Do you know who I am? I am the captain of Manchester United. I am very rich, I can give you money, I can pay you, please let us go.”