Rúben Amorim has explained he feels one Manchester United star has begun to show why he could be the next big leader during a new age for the club.
Manchester United’s December form has been a mixed bag, with wins against Wolves and Newcastle mixed in with draws against Bournemouth and West Ham and a loss against Aston Villa, although some performances have been encouraging.
It’s been a period during which Rúben Amorim has lost key players such as Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Bruno Fernandes to injury or the Africa Cup of Nations, forcing changes.
Against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, United played a somewhat hybrid formation that used a back three and back four depending on the game state, but against Newcastle, it was a flat back four.
While much of the defence has changed, 19-year-old Ayden Heaven has started all five fixtures this month, and his most recent performances have caught the attention of the footballing world.
Amorim full of praise for Heaven’s attitude
Heaven joined United from Arsenal for a fee of around £1 million in January 2025, and after some good performances in Europe last season, he found minutes hard to come by when 2025/26 kicked off. But amid injuries, he had his chance, and Amorim took note of his attitude.
“I really like Ayden,” the United boss told Sky Sports. “He’s really humble. Maybe because it was hard for him to get to this point, he was in Arsenal, he was not playing, and then arriving here, he had the opportunity, so he can value every moment in every training.
“He worked really well, [even when] he was not playing. Maybe he was the centre-back with less minutes, and he was training really, really hard. Then, he doesn’t make any excuses.
“Sometimes, you give a direction for Ayden, and he just says, ‘OK, I understand’. And sometimes, that detail, it’s really important. He’s not looking for any excuses why I didn’t do this or that. He’s not this kind of guy. He’s just, ‘OK, I understand’, and he improves every day.”
Heaven is already showing why he’s a leader
At 19, one aspect of Heaven’s performances that has taken many by surprise is how comfortable he’s looked in physical battles, and his constant desire to drive the ball forward.
When further asked whether it’s essential to have leaders around Heaven to help him feel secure, Amorim replied that he doesn’t think the teenage star needs them and that he thrives on the pitch – something that suggests he’s a future leader for the Reds.
Read More: Ayden Heaven reveals the ‘most important’ aspect of playing in Ruben Amorim’s system at Man Utd
“I don’t have that feeling when I put Ayden that he’s going to struggle,” he continued. “He’s really confident and I think he’s better in games than even in trainings and that can reveal that he’s a leader also.
“But of course, when you have players like Licha, Harry Maguire, when you train every day with them, he understands what it takes to play for Manchester. But it’s not a big concern when I put Ayden [in the team].
“I’m not thinking I’m going to put this guy on his side to help him during the game. I don’t have that feeling.”
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