One “invaluable” Manchester United star has shown exactly why Ruben Amorim wants to keep him at the club following a move behind-the-scenes at Carrington.
It wasn’t the result Manchester United fans were hoping for on the weekend against Newcastle, but amidst the disappointment, Harry Amass managed to catch the eye on his full debut.
The path to a first-team debut at Old Trafford is rarely straightforward, especially for someone so young. But the defender has been quietly edging closer all year, impressing the right people at the club.
What’s perhaps more surprising is who’s been guiding him through it all — a senior figure not always in the headlines, but playing a key role behind the scenes.
United have a youthful side but those with experience have crucial roles in helping these raw talents settle into life in the first-team.
Maguire ‘invaluable’ to Amass integration in United squad
Amass become the fourth-youngest United player to start a Premier League game when he lined up at St James’ Park but looked comfortable while on the pitch.
The 18-year-old defender has been in and around the first-team squad for the entire season after impressing in the last pre-season tour and it always felt like he’d push forward sooner or later.
According to MailSport, one of the players who has helped Amass integrate into the first-team squad is former club captain Harry Maguire.
It was explained in the report that Maguire had pulled the teenager aside at Carrington a few days ago to tell him that the first-team squad felt that he was closing in on his full debut.
One source told that report that Maguire, alongside Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot, have been been “invaluable” to Amass being able to settle into the first-team environment.
Maguire showing leadership Amorim wants
It isn’t exactly surprising that Maguire is offering this kind of guidance off the pitch as a senior player but it’s exactly what Ruben Amorim wants from him.
The Portuguese manager told the defender in January that he was planning to trigger the one-year extension in his contract but stated that he wanted to see more leadership from him.
“Harry Maguire, we are going to trigger our option. I spoke with him this morning and I told him that he has to improve his game on the pitch,” Amorim said.
“We need him a lot and also he has to improve as a leader, because we all know the situation that he had here but we need him a lot in this moment so we are going to trigger happily the option for Harry.”
United have a young team and considering the way INEOS want to recruit, it will likely get even younger.
That gives players like Maguire and Bruno Fernandes even more responsibility to help those youthful players coming into the squad.
The 32-year-old defender is not likely to be a consistent starter in the team next season but Amorim will want to see more and more of him being an influence behind-the-scenes at Carrington.
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