'Like playing in a playground' - Harry Maguire reveals why Man Utd have failed following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement ahead of 'fresh start' under Ruben Amorim

Maguire says United need to start "thriving off the pressure" again like they did when Ferguson was manager. The Red Devils have slumped to new lows in recent years, finishing 15th in the Premier League last season and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.

Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag midway through the 2024-25 campaign but could not oversee an immediate improvement to United's fortunes. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have invested heavily in the first-team squad this summer, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko bolstering their attack.

Maguire said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: "There has been a transition period, obviously, when Sir Alex [Ferguson] was here and we had the best team by far and won all the trophies. But the reality is that we're not the best team. You've got to thrive off the pressure and you've got to play like you're playing in a playground. I think that's what we've struggled to find over the last 10 years."

On the club's fresh start under Amorim, the England international added: "The lads are working hard and it's a great atmosphere in the place. We want to be successful, we're doing everything we can to be successful. Sometimes we know it's not been good enough for a recent [period] and we've not given our fans as much. I feel like it's almost a little bit of a fresh start and hopefully this start is a good start."

This will be Maguire's seventh season as a United player, with his contract running until June 2026 after the club confirmed they would trigger an extension in his contract. He has made 246 appearances in all competitions so far, winning the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

Maguire may well be part of Amorim's first competitive starting XI of the 2025-26 season when United host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday in their Premier League opener.