Club legend Sheringham gives 4 players as key for Amorim success at Man Utd

Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has identified four players he believes Ruben Amorim can build his team around

The Portuguese manager is working to establish his philosophy at Old Trafford with mixed results so far over eight games since coming from Sporting.

United have won four matches under Amorim, with the manager fielding 24 different players to assess who fits his system best.

That experimentation was evident during the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Thursday, where a heavily rotated United side suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to Tottenham.

None of Sheringham's four picks featured in the starting XI for the cup tie, and the former striker has doubts about the other players.

“I think Harry Maguire has still got that stature at the football club. I think he's still captain material,” Sheringham told Genting Casino.

He continued: “Kobbie Mainoo, who has a lovely presence in midfield... Amad and [Rasmus] Hojlund, both young lads that have been showing good grit.

"I like Hojlund. He's been feeding off scraps for far too long, but he's still scoring goals. I think he's got something about him.

"He's still only a very young boy to be leading the line at Man United.”

Sheringham also reflected on United’s decision to sign Hojlund, suggesting they might have initially opted for a more experienced striker.

He said: “When they had the choice to buy either Harry Kane or him one and a half years ago, I would have said, you’ve got to go and get Harry Kane to lead the line for the next two years, three years, and then get Hojlund in.

"But now Hojlund has had that 18-month experience. I think it’s held him in good stead, and I think he’s in a good place, that’s what I’m taking from the way that he plays.”

Among Amorim's squad, Amad has arguably been the standout performer during the manager's early tenure, inspiring last weekend’s thrilling Manchester derby victory.

Hojlund, meanwhile, has displayed promise with five goals under Amorim, despite competition from summer signing Joshua Zirkzee for the No.9 role.

Mainoo, who returned from injury around the time Amorim took over, has impressed and seems to have cemented his place in the starting XI.

Sheringham’s inclusion of Maguire is perhaps the most surprising, given his mixed status at the club.

Maguire was stripped of the captaincy by former manager Erik ten Hag at the start of last season but has started twice under Amorim—against Arsenal and Manchester City—and performed admirably in both matches.

The 31-year-old defender is reportedly optimistic about contract extension talks.

“The discussions are sounding really positive,” Maguire said recently, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season.

He will be hoping to feature in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford, as Amorim looks to refine his approach and solidify his squad.