26k sign petition to get Harry Maguire on £50 but here’s who’s got a real chance

A PETITION for footie star Harry Maguire’s inflatable unicorn ride to go on the new £50 note had more than 26,000 signatures last night.

Fan Jonny Sharples’ mock-up on Change.org shows the defender riding the unicorn in a swimming pool at England’s World Cup HQ in Russia.

Jonny praised the recent redesigns of fivers and tenners, as well as a new £20 also to be circulated in two years.

But he said:“None of these notes so far have featured a World Cup semi finalist floating on a mythical creature, and in the interests of football’s attempts to come home, who would be more appropriate to feature than Harry Maguire riding an inflatable unicorn?”

Three Lions team-mate Kyle Walker, 28, has also backed Maguire while claiming he himself would settle for featuring on a fiver.

The Manchester City defender shared an image of his own memorable pose from the World Cup, suffering with cramp that left him unable to celebrate England's win over Colombia.

Maguire was straight in on the action and teased Walker for using the old £5 notes, which are out of commission.

But Walker responded by pulling a well-known snapshot of Maguire talking to his family out of the bag and turned the joke on its head by calling himself a 'ten'.

Walker has managed to make light of the picture before and has even coined the phrase 'Kyling' as a result.

The Bank of England wants the public to put forward their ideas for the £50 polymer note, which will be introduced in 2020.

Early favourites for the honour include former Prime Ministers Clement Attlee and Margaret Thatcher.

But another poll yesterday revealed 39 per cent of Brits want Sir David Attenborough.

In 2018 a £200 million polar research ship was named after the naturalist - two years after the public voted in an online poll for it to be called “Boaty McBoatface” instead.

Princess Diana came second with 28 per cent, while acting legend Dami Judi Dench was third with 18 per cent of the vote.

Others on the list included Freddie Mercury (17 per cent), David Bowie (15 per cent) and Sir Michael Caine (13 per cent).

Comedian Graham Norton polled six per cent, while Love Island winner Dani Dyer got one per cent.

Bank of England chiefs will have the final say and will choose a figure “widely admired” who “made an important contribution to our society and culture”.

The Bank traditionally avoids choosing “people who are still living”.

A petition backing Baroness Thatcher had hit 12,800 last night.

Supporter Douglas Fenning wrote: “She was the only PM of note since Churchill.”