'He was dead' - Amorim reveals how dedicated Harry Maguire was for Manchester United vs Arsenal

Ruben Amorim says Harry Maguire has become a leader again for Manchester United.

Maguire was stripped of the captaincy by former manager Erik ten Hag in July 2023 and came close to joining West Ham a month later after the club accepted a £30million offer.

Since those trying times, Maguire has had an impressive 18 months and was treated to a standing ovation from the 7,956 United supporters in attendance for the FA Cup third round tie at Arsenal.

Maguire was forced off in extra time as he had missed two training sessions in the week through illness and he will be assessed ahead of the Premier League visit of Southampton on Thursday evening.

Amorim said Maguire was "dead" when he was replaced by Leny Yoro in the 104th minute on Sunday. "I think he changed the way he sees himself," Amorim said. "I believe a lot in Harry. I said this when we signed the new contract - you can say the new contract. He needs to improve on the pitch and outside the pitch.

"You can see the way he plays now is different because he believes a lot in himself. I think we have to praise Harry more than me. He's doing a great job.

"He was sick in the last game. He was dead in the end. That's what I want from every player. He has to continue to do a good job."

Maguire came to prominence playing in a back three under Gareth Southgate when England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. The 31-year-old played in the set-up several times for United during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure and Amorim is wedded to a 3-4-3 formation.

Amorim has started Maguire in United's past five matches and tweaked the England international's positioning. Maguire has often played on the left of a back three but, with Lisandro Martinez a left-footer, Maguire has