Maguire: We must keep our cool in Panama test

Harry Maguire has urged England to keep their composure regardless of any provocations from Panama when the World Cup rivals go head to head tomorrow (1pm kick-off ).

The Central Americans are known as a physically robust side and left Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, despite an opening 3-0 win, unhappy about a number of full-blooded tackles when the Group G rivals met.

England are already preparing for a similar examination and have been cautioned by the coaching staff not to let tempers flare and risk a red card in Nizhny Novgorod.

Leicester centre-back Maguire is unlikely to be intimidated – standing 6ft 4in, weighing in at more than 15 stone and a veteran of countless tussles during his time with Sheffield United – but he has stressed the importance of staying focused.

“Discipline is going to be a big part of the game,” he said.

“They might want to frustrate us or make people angry, but we’ve got to keep our cool and keep calm.

“If they are continuously fouling us, we can’t react in a bad way.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a good game and we can impose our attacking threat on them as well as the physical side, try to get the ball down and create chances that way.

“(But) I’m a big lad myself, so I feel I can handle myself in a battle.”

If any England players need a lesson in how to stay in control of their emotions, they need only look to captain Harry Kane.

He was repeatedly manhandled in the penalty area against Tunisia, reacting with admirable restraint and earning his just rewards by scoring a match-winning brace.

“At every corner he seemed to be getting grabbed and wrestled, but he got away from his man twice, stuck two in the back of the net and won us the game,” Maguire said. “If we can all react like that, it would be perfect.”