This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. After a period of reduced usage, when Ruben Amorim was in charge of Manchester United, Harry Maguire is back in the England squad, admitting that he feared his international career might be over. The 33-year-old center-back received his first call-up under Thomas Tuchel, after 64 caps and three major tournaments. "There was a time when I thought I wouldn't return," the defender confessed in an interview with the Daily Mail. "Probably at the end of last season when I wasn't called up for the summer camp. In the three autumn camps, I had an inconsistent start to the season with injuries, so I didn't think I should have been selected," explained the player, who sees the coaching change at Manchester United as a decisive factor for his return. The swap of Ruben Amorim for Michael Carrick in January was crucial. Since then, Maguire has become an undisputed starter in the heart of the Red Devils' defense, which has climbed to third place in the Premier League. The tactical shift from a three-man defense to a four-man defense was critical, as Tuchel also employs a four-man backline. "The question when playing in a three-man defense is whether you can play in a four-man defense. When playing with a five-man defense (three center-backs) and being the one in the middle, people automatically think that being a bit older means you can't move as much and that you're protected. Which, in fact, happens, but I've always said that I much prefer playing in a four-man defense. I feel I can be more aggressive, play further up. That's a big part of my game," he emphasized. The experienced center-back commented on Ruben Amorim's time at Old Trafford, absolving the Portuguese coach of blame for the failure and praising him: "I don't have much bad to say about Ruben. I like him a lot; I think he has great ideas. The ideas just didn't work at Manchester United. I believe he will have a fantastic career. It simply didn't fit, and I think we, the players, also have to take a lot of responsibility for that." Now, the defender is competing for a spot in the final squad with John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn, and Ezri Konsa, but he remains confident. "I have great confidence in myself. I am a top-level center-back," he concluded.
Ruben Amorim United This remains central to this story.
Ruben Amorim United This remains central to this story.
Read more in Premier League news. and related tags: Ruben Amorim, United This.