Ruben Amorim was dismissed by Manchester United after 14 turbulent months at Old Trafford, and the club has been revitalised since Michael Carrick took charge
Former United boss Ruben Amorim embraces Harry Maguire
Former United boss Ruben Amorim embraces Harry Maguire (Image: 2025 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)
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Harry Maguire insists Ruben Amorim will go on to enjoy an "amazing career" despite his nightmare Manchester United reign.
The Portuguese head coach spent a turbulent 14 months at Old Trafford before being sacked, failing to secure European football and falling out with a number of players, including Marcus Rashford. The difficulties he faced at the club have had a new light shone on them since Michael Carrick took charge, leading United into third place in the Premier League - and on track to reach next season's Champions League.
But Maguire, back in the England squad after his own recent renaissance, harbours no ill will towards Amorim, and insists that he helped put the club on the right path and is deserving of credit for the turnaround in fortunes.
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“I think Ruben was really good with me," admits the veteran defender. "I pretty much played every game under Ruben when I was fit. I don't really have much bad to say about Ruben. I really like Ruben, I think he's got great ideas. The ideas just didn't work at Manchester United.
“I do believe he'll go on and have an amazing career, and his next club he'll probably go and win many, many football matches. It just didn't click or work and I think us as players have got to take a lot of responsibility for that as well.
“But I think he has led the club in a direction, and I do think he deserves a lot of credit for that, where he's built a good, solid squad and I do believe that he deserves credit for that.”
Maguire believes that Amorim, whose 3-4-3 formation never really worked at United, will bounce back, revealing he has spoken to the ex-United boss after his departure.
“I spoke to him when he left. He wished us all the best,” said Maguire. “I'm sure he would have been upset, but I know he's still really, really young and I'm sure he's going to go on to great things in management.”
Since taking interim charge, Carrick has ripped up Amorim's preferred formation, and returned to a back four, with Maguire at its heart. But Maguire says he did not mind playing in the back three.
“Obviously Michael has come in and he’s changed the formation and playing in a back four - I personally prefer playing in a back four. The best part of my career has been playing in a back four.
"I played a couple of times under Gareth Southgate in a back five but that was only really the first tournament in Russia and then leading up the Euros, where I felt like I was in my so-called best years of my career, it was playing in a back four. When you’re playing a back five and you’re playing that middle one, automatically people think you’re a little bit older, can’t move as much. And you get protected. Which you do actually get protected!
“But I’ve always said I much prefer playing in a back four. I feel like I can play more aggressive, play more on the front foot and I feel like that’s a big part of my game.”