The leadership group at Man United has been revived under new head coach Ruben Amorim for the new season.
United showed admirable team spirit to beat Arsenal in the FA Cup
United showed admirable team spirit to beat Arsenal in the FA Cup
Manchester United have revived a leadership group in their first team squad for the new season.
United established a leadership group during Erik ten Hag's tenure but it was effectively disbanded after Bruno Fernandes replaced Harry Maguire as club captain in July 2023.
Fernandes and Maguire were both members of the old leadership group, along with Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, David de Gea and Tom Heaton.
De Gea was released by United in 2023, Varane left United last year and Rashford, now at Barcelona on a season-long loan, last played for United on December 12.
A new six-man group has been assembled by head coach Ruben Amorim to deal with issues that directly affect the players.
"We have a leadership group now," Amorim said. "It's not just Bruno. It's not just Harry. It's six guys now. They are responsible for the group.
"There are some things that in the last year I had to deal with. I said to them in this year, you deal with that. Small issues are with you guys. You are responsible. All these small changes, I think it's helping the group.
"We have Bruno, we have Licha (Martinez), we have Harry, we have Diogo (Dalot), we have Tom (Heaton) and we have Nous (Mazraoui). So it's not just the oldest one.
"Nous is in the group because he's a character that I like. And I try to understand the dynamic of the group. Try to reach every space. They are the guys that are responsible to keep everyone in line."
Dalot is the second-longest serving member in the United squad, having arrived from Porto in 2018, and is multi-lingual.
Figures at the club have identified Dalot as a potential future captain and he skippered the side in the second half against Leeds United in Stockholm last month.
Martinez joined United in 2022 and quickly gained a cult following among the fanbase. The 27-year-old is nearing a return to full training after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on February 2.
Heaton, 39, rejoined United in 2021 having come through the club's academy and is the oldest member of the squad. Mazraoui, 27, was one of United's most consistent performers last season after he signed from Bayern Munich.
Casemiro, part of the old leadership group, is out of contract next year and Shaw has played only 27 times for United in the past two seasons.