Manchester United defender Harry Maguire said Ruben Amorim deserves credit for the team’s revival. Maguire said the Portuguese coach had great ideas for the Red Devils, which have helped them since he left.

After Amorim was sacked in early January, Michael Carrick took over as interim manager, and since then, Manchester United have found a new lease of life. United is in third place in the Premier League standings with 51 points after 31 games.

“I don’t really have much bad to say about Ruben,” Maguire said ahead of Friday’s friendly against Uruguay. “I really like Ruben, I think he’s got great ideas. The ideas just didn’t work at Manchester United.

“I do believe he’ll go on and have an amazing career and his next club he’ll probably go and win many, many football matches.

“It just didn’t click or work and I think us as players have got to take a lot of responsibility for that as well.

“But I think he has led the club in a direction — and I do think he deserves a lot of credit for that — where he’s built a good, solid squad.”

Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo was able to make a comeback to England’s squad ahead of the World Cup and Maguire said the youngster is working on areas in which he wants to improve.

Maguire said of “magnificent” Mainoo, who is also in talks over new terms: “I’m sure there are areas that he wants to improve and he still can improve, because he’s so young, really, for what he’s been through.

“He’s been through a lot in his short career where he’s probably thinking, ‘I need to get out and go and play some games’.

“To be back in with a chance of being at a World Cup is a great turnaround for him.”

England will take on Uruguay and Japan in International friendlies.