Amorim names six-player Man Utd leadership group including star who nearly left

Ruben Amorim has revealed his six-player leadership team at Manchester United and what they’ll be tasked with doing has come to light.

Bruno Fernandes succeeded Harry Maguire as captain of Man Utd during the latter stages of Erik ten Hag’s reign. The pair are among the most senior stars at Old Trafford and as such, it’ll come as no surprise to learn they’re part of Amorim’s leadership group.

However, an eyebrow or two may be raised at those who round out the six-man list. Furthermore, Amorim shed light on what the group will actually do.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, United boss Amorim explained: “We have a leadership group now. 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 that.

“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 ones. Nous is in the group because he’s a character that I like. And I try to understand the dynamic of the group and try to reach every space. They are the guys that are responsible to keep everyone in line.”

Leadership group member almost left this summer

While by far the oldest player in the squad, the inclusion of Heaton may come as a surprise to some given the veteran goalkeeper hardly ever plays.

The 39-year-old last played for Man Utd in a competitive fixture way back in the 2022/23 campaign. Furthermore, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported in the run-up to the summer window that Heaton was expected to be released once his contract expired.

However, United performed a U-turn and offered the experienced stopper a new contract which was signed on June 27.

Another change behind the scenes at Old Trafford is the club’s outlook on training.

The Mail added: ‘While actually giving the players more latitude than his predecessor Erik ten Hag, Amorim will also use the data at his disposal to enforce high standards in training – even if that means showing them up in front of the rest of the squad.’

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