Soccer News

Home

Teams

Leagues

Quizzes

Newsletter

Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Maguire vows to repay fans as United eye fresh start under Ruben Amorim

Originally posted on HITC | By Dale O'Donnell | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 12:38 PM ET

Manchester United will be looking to turn things around after a rough 2024/25 season.

Ruben Amorim’s first six months in charge were far from ideal, with a Europa League final defeat and a 15th-place finish in the Premier League highlighting the challenges he faced.

The squad has seen some changes over the summer, with Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon, Bryan Mbuemo and Benjamin Sesko all coming in. There’s hope that these additions can help steady the ship.

The players who were already at the club will need to show more than they did last season. The expectations haven’t changed just because new faces have arrived.

Amorim is counting on his experienced players to set the tone in training and matches. He’ll also be hoping that the new signings bring some fresh energy to a group that clearly needs it.

Harry Maguire is determined to repay fans for their support

Harry Maguire knows a thing or two about responding to setbacks. The centre-back has been through his share of ups and downs since joining United.

While losing the captaincy was a blow, he’s rebuilt his influence by leading through example on the pitch.

Maguire has made it clear that United’s players owe something to the club’s fans, starting from their season opener against Arsenal. Speaking to MUTV, he said: “I said it last year, that we’ve got the best fans in the world.”

Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

“I think you realise that when you’re going through bad times. Everyone can be there and celebrating and be loud and proud when things are going well, but our fans last year stuck with us through it all. There were some dark times and some performances that were nowhere near good enough and they were always there.”

Maguire added: “A few days after the final, it could have been a real toxic atmosphere. It wasn’t. It was the opposite.”

“We got clapped off the pitch when we did a lap of honour and that’s our fans. Now it’s on us to go and repay them this season with some special performances and some memories for them to keep and share.”

Manchester United: What’s ahead for the new season

United’s pre-season tour took them to Sweden and the United States, and they came through it unbeaten in five friendlies, picking up three wins along the way.

Maguire feels last season’s struggles have given the squad plenty to learn from, and he hopes that will show when the real games begin.

He said: “We will definitely be stronger, for sure. Individuals will be strong. When you have setbacks, you learn from them, you gain experience from them.”

Photo by Annice Lyn/Manchester United via Getty Images

“There’ll be a lot of lads in that changing room who have had a tough year last year and will have found themselves coming under a lot of pressure and a lot of scrutiny, probably for the first time in their career, so they’ll have learned from it massively.”

Maguire also pointed out that this is his first full pre-season under Ruben Amorim.

The defender added: “A good break [helps you] switch off from football and come back to it thinking of it as a fresh start. Signing new players [also] helps with that, and being in the new facility. It’s our first pre-season under Ruben [Amorim] and his staff, so it’s really important.

“It feels like a real fresh start this season, and after a bad season, that’s the best thing that could have happened. Now it’s time for us to play and put it into practice and make sure we get the result.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: