Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Amorim and Harry Maguire
Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Amorim try not to laugh as Harry Maguire is asked about his dribbling and goalscoring
Even while the question was being asked, Ruben Amorim was struggling to stifle a laugh. In fact, he found it so difficult to keep his composure that he had to reach for the glass of water in front of him. His chuckling started to set off Bruno Fernandes in the seat next to him.
The subject of their fun sat on the other side of the United head coach. Harry Maguire has, in many ways, been the hero of this Europa League campaign. An injury-time equaliser at Porto and then that unforgettable winner in extra-time against Lyon that sent Old Trafford into a frenzy.
There was also the twisting, turning dribble down the wing in this very stadium three weeks ago. He went one way, then the other, and then he whipped in a cross that ended with Casemiro setting United on their way to a Europa League semi-final cruise against Athletic Club.
Manuel Ugarte flicked that cross on to Casemiro, so Maguire didn't actually get the assist, which is perhaps Exhibit A as to why these starts can be so worthless. Everyone knows the 32-year-old was the real hero of that goal.
So it was that a journalist asked him if these "inspirational moments" in attack were all part of a new tactical plan. Amorim's laughter would suggest not, but Maguire played along.
“The manager has me dribbling down the wing every day in training," he said to laughter.
"I found myself on the wing against Bilbao and managed to put a good cross in and Casa scored the goal. Someone just asked me before, I’ve gone up front in the later minutes of a game. Hopefully tomorrow night I’m not going up front, I don’t want to be going up front and chasing a game, I want to be defending a lead from my position in defence.
“I’m always there to help and do my best, but I’m more than happy playing in my favoured position."
Maguire will be a certain starter in that back three tonight, and it will be a reward for his years of service to United. Another question asked him how it felt to now be so important to this team when, for so long, the noise around him had been "toxic." He swerved that one, but his recovery is one of the feel-good stories out of Old Trafford in recent years.
It's easy to forget now, but the build-up to the Europa League final in Gdansk in 2021 focused on Maguire's fitness. He was nowhere near being fit, but United took him along and had him pictured in training to keep up the suspense.
The next time United reached a cup final, he was a figure of fun, routinely jeered on pre-season tours and captain in name only. He was on the bench for the Carabao Cup final success in 2023 and came on for the final two minutes, sharing the trophy lift with Bruno Fernandes.
Maguire stopped to speak to reporters in the mixed zone at Wembley that day and insisted he was happy to be part of a trophy-winning United side after six years without silverware, but he must have been hurting at seeing his role reduced.
"I don’t have any mixed emotions, it’s been so long since the club won a trophy, it’s a really good day for the club and the fans," he said that day.
"I am club captain and my main job is to move this club forward and to bring success back to the club and today has been part of it. Obviously, listen, I am a footballer who wants to play games and I want to lead the boys out of the tunnel at the start of the game but also like I said I understand this is part and parcel of football when you play at the top level and you have got huge competition for places.
"It’s a real good day for the club and for me and a proud day for my family who were in the stands and saw me lift my first trophy for Manchester United."
United were in an FA Cup final later this season, and Maguire didn't get off the bench in the defeat to Manchester City. A year later, he was injured for the Wembley win against Manchester City.
So in four cup finals since his £80million move from Leicester City in 2019, Maguire has missed two through injury and played a combined two minutes in the other. It sums up his fortunes at United.
But over the last couple of years, the narrative has turned again. For all of those cup final disappointments, the winner against Lyon felt like his moment at United.
“I've had some amazing moments at this club, been here six years now and I've had some great times and some bad times as well," he said.
"I think that game pretty much summed up my time at this club, to be honest! It was an incredible feeling to score that winner in such an important game, in a game that was full of emotion and the strangest, maddest game I've ever played in or witnessed."
Now, finally, Maguire will get to play in a cup final. He's no longer captain, but he's more of a leader now than when he wore the armband. He's had to wait for this moment, but few players deserve this final more than Maguire.