Ruben Amorim has asked Harry Maguire to improve as a player and a leader for Manchester United.

The club have triggered Maguire's one-year contract extension, which should keep him at Old Trafford until at least the summer of 2026. But Amorim has revealed he made it clear, in a one-on-one meeting with United's former captain, that he expects better from him moving forward.

"I spoke with him this morning and I told him he has to improve on the pitch, we need him a lot," said the Portuguese. "Also, he has to improve as a leader.

"We all know the situation he had here but we need him a lot in this moment, but we are going to trigger the option for him. We are starving for leaders on the pitch. He is a leader."

With Amorim scrambling to find a winning recipe in central defence, Maguire has seen plenty of game time in recent weeks. The England international played every minute of the defeats to Newcastle United, Wolves and Bournemouth - three matches in which United failed to even find the net.

Maguire had previously found minutes hard to come by under Erik ten Hag, but Amorim's three-at-the-back system could be a godsend for the 31-year-old, who thrived in that formation for England.

United will need their veteran centre-back to call on all of his experience when they visit table-toppers Liverpool on Sunday. The gulf between the bitter rivals has been striking this season, and Amorim is desperate for his senior players to stand up and be counted.

"I think it is not something just for our team, it is for all the teams - if you want to be a top, top team you have to have leaders," he explained. "We have that in the dressing room but they have to step up. We need the guys that are more experienced to help the younger players."

Marcus Rashford is unlikely to be involved in the trip to Anfield, according to Amorim, as the out-of-favour forward has missed training this week due to illness. Mason Mount and Luke Shaw are also expected to sit out, while Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte will return from suspensions.

The manager has stressed the importance of staying positive after being torn apart by Newcastle in the early stages of their last game. "I am not focused on losing and what could happen," he said. "We know what we are going to face. Our focus is not thinking about any bad result."