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

Harry Maguire has called on the Premier League to sort out the mess around ‘soft penalties’ and wants them to lead the way by raising the threshold for spot-kick awards.

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

Maguire saw team-mate Rico Lewis punished for brushing the face of a North Macedonia player when jumping to head the ball during Monday’s 1-1 draw in Skopje.

And the 30-year-old believes it is the PGMOL who have to show the rest of the world how to officiate in the penalty area, especially after a spate of accidental handball awards.

‘For me, penalties in the last six months or a year or so, especially in the Premier League, all over the world really, the Champions League, they are given for anything,’ said Maguire. ‘They are so soft. They are making life so hard for defenders to defend the way it should be.

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

‘Nowadays, penalties are given for everything. Absolutely for everything. I understand it’s an important part of the game – what should be a penalty, what shouldn’t be a penalty – but there’s far too many soft penalties given at the moment.

‘I think the threshold of giving penalties definitely needs to change. And I think the Premier League, the biggest league in the world, needs to start it, need to come up with something, because I’ve seen some penalties in the Premier League since the start of this season which, for me, are just ridiculous.

‘It’s not just at my club, I see them given for handballs where I don’t know where lads are supposed to put their arms. Minimal contact too, it’s a contact sport.

‘Starting with the biggest league in the world, which is the Premier League, they need to set the standard and the threshold needs to be a little bit higher than it is at the moment.’

Maguire has been in good form for club and country of late but did not enjoy one of his better nights against North Macedonia, fortunate not to give away a penalty in the first half when stumbling into an attacker and knocking him over. The incident was compared to Boris Johnson’s infamous SoccerAid foul in some quarters.

England’s Rico Lewis was penalised for brushing the face of a North Macedonia player

But Maguire said: ‘Listen, I know I’m appreciated in the dressing room. I know I’m appreciated in the football world, coaches, players, the support I have from ex-players, managers. And I know I’m appreciated with the England fans, who I have made many memories with over the years and that’s the most important thing for me.’

Meanwhile, Jack Grealish was another below-par performer in Skopje and he is well aware of the competition for places in wide areas, especially with the exiled Raheem Sterling playing so well at Chelsea.

‘He (Sterling) is obviously playing really well at the moment,’ said Grealish. ‘So are the likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and I feel like I am playing well at the moment. I am just not having any luck in front of goal at the moment and (offside goal against Macedonia) showed that.

‘But there are so many good players. Cole Palmer has come in this camp and done really well, Jarrod Bowen is doing really well, so there is massive competition in those attacking places, but that is what you want.’