Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has praised Harry Maguire, describing him as “a leader once again.”
Maguire’s £80m transfer from Leicester in 2019 quickly saw him appointed captain by then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after just five months.
However, in July 2023, Erik ten Hag, Solskjaer’s successor, stripped the 31-year-old England defender of the captaincy, a decision that sparked speculation about Maguire’s future at Old Trafford.
Despite United accepting a bid from West Ham, Maguire chose to stay, eventually forcing his way back into the team amidst an injury crisis.
He further declined another transfer opportunity last summer and has since solidified his place in Amorim’s plans.
Now playing a pivotal role in Amorim’s back three, Maguire has become one of the Portuguese manager’s key players. His impressive performance in the recent FA Cup victory against Arsenal, despite missing training due to illness, underscored his resurgence under Amorim’s leadership.
“I feel he is a leader again,” said Amorim. “He feels more like an important player in the team.
“He believes in himself a lot and he’s doing a great job.
“We have to praise Harry more than me. He was sick before the last game and was dead in the end. That is what I want from every player.”
Although he is right-footed, Solskjaer used Maguire on the left of his central defence.
Ten Hag switched Maguire to the right because he didn’t feel he was quick enough opening his body out to create space through his passing on the left-hand side.
Amorim feels the central position Maguire has now is perfect.
“He’s really good with the ball in that position,” he said.
“You can also see in this league it is really important to be good in set-pieces and when we are defending low, there are a lot of crosses. Arsenal did a lot of crosses with Harry and we controlled that area.”