Erik ten Hag established a leadership group at Manchester United during his time in charge but it was effectively disbanded after Bruno Fernandes replaced Harry Maguire as club captain in July 2023
17:30, 03 Aug 2025Updated 17:30, 03 Aug 2025
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has established a new leadership group
Manchester United have brought back a leadership group within their first team squad for the new campaign.
United had previously established a leadership group during Erik ten Hag's reign, but it was essentially scrapped after Bruno Fernandes took over from Harry Maguire as club captain in July 2023.
Both Fernandes and Maguire were part of the previous leadership group, alongside Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, David de Gea and Tom Heaton.
De Gea was let go by United in 2023, Varane departed last year, and Rashford, who is currently on a season-long loan at Barcelona, hasn't featured for United since December 12.
Head coach Ruben Amorim has now put together a fresh six-man group to handle matters that directly impact the players, reports the Manchester Evening News.
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"We have a leadership group now," Amorim explained. "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.
Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Manchester United, speaks in a press conference after the Premier League Summer Series match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Soldier Field on July 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois
Ruben Amorim spoke about the changes ahead of the season(Image: 2025 Premier League)
"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, who joined United from Porto in 2018, is the second-longest serving member of the squad and speaks multiple languages.
Club insiders have earmarked Dalot as a potential future captain, and he even wore the armband during the second half of a match against Leeds United in Stockholm last month.
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Martinez became a United player in 2022 and quickly won over the fans. The 27 year old is on the verge of returning to full training after suffering a rupture to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on February 2.
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Heaton, at 39, is the oldest member of the squad. He returned to United in 2021, having originally come through the club's academy.
Mazraoui, also 27, was one of United's standout performers last season following his transfer from Bayern Munich.
Casemiro, a member of the previous leadership group, is out of contract next year, while Shaw has only made 27 appearances for United over the past two seasons.