Harry Maguire admits Kobbie Mainoo could have quit Man Utd after Ruben Amorim treatment

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Harry Maguire has taken aim at Ruben Amorim , insisting Kobbie Mainoo would have departed Manchester United had the Portuguese boss stayed on, while revealing details about the youngster's handling. Mainoo endured a frustrating campaign with limited opportunities last season, as Amorim's tactical setup offered scant space for him.

He remained absent from Premier League starting line-ups until the manager's January dismissal. Amorim, 41, proved unable to accommodate Mainoo despite experimenting with him across various positions. The midfielder was even deployed as a striker during a home loss to Crystal Palace in February 2025, before eventually being earmarked to battle Bruno Fernandes for playing time in a deeper midfield position.

Looking back on the challenging opening months of his campaign, Mainoo told reporters: "I mean, obviously there were difficult times but I tried to keep my focus on what was in front of me, take things day by day and just keep working my craft, keep working hard for the team, and I hoped the rest would come. Thankfully it has."

Michael Carrick, who initially took over from Amorim on a temporary basis until the end of last season, promptly reinstated the midfielder in the starting line-up. Mainoo's performances during the second half of the campaign were so impressive they secured him a spot in England's World Cup squad.

However, circumstances could have been vastly different had Amorim remained at the helm at Old Trafford. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast on Netflix , Maguire was asked whether he found Mainoo's treatment under the Portuguese manager puzzling.

"Yeah, I think it all stemmed out of that we played a formation where there was two [in central midfield] and he wanted Bruno to be one of those two," Maguire explained. "And then I think he wanted a real defensive one alongside Bruno and at the time Kobbie was young, inexperienced and probably didn't know the position as well.

"But listen, if Ruben was still the manager now, Kobbie would have probably been shifted on and be looking for a new club but he's turned things around, credit to him. It would have been a mistake because he's a Manchester lad, he's come through the academy and we want them players in our club to drive the club forward for the next 10 years. And hopefully he is at the club for the next 10 years because he has the ability to do so."

The Stockport-born youngster had put in a loan request during the final week of last summer's transfer window, having grown frustrated at his limited playing time. United turned down the move, and the midfielder continued to find first-team minutes hard to come by under Amorim.

Maguire went on to elaborate on what makes Mainoo such an effective player, adding: "I think he was a top player before the last three months of the season, but the last couple of months of the season, arguably him and Bruno have been our best players.

"He's held everything together; he's so good on the ball, he takes the ball, he's strong, he's looking more athletic. He's still young, he still can grown into his body, he's still going to gather experience. He's got to learn the position, and when he learns the position he's going to become even better. But I believe he's going to have such a wonderful career."

With Michael Carrick now at the helm for a full campaign, Mainoo is set to play a far more prominent role, something the 21-year-old will relish under a manager who clearly believes in him.

"I love the way he coaches and manages me personally in the team as well," he previously said. "I think everyone in the squad can agree with that. When he officially got the job, we were all so happy."

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