Amorim to keep playing Maguire as striker as Man Utd eye £100m prize

Harry Maguire likes to continue playing as an improvised striker, so Manchester United remains on track for a Jackpot of £ 100 million.

The Center-Back in England added to 'Amorim great again' with an incredible winner of 121th minute against Lyon to secure a semi-final of the Europa League.

Glory in that competition would be united a lucrative ticket to the Champions League of next season.

But Baas Ruben Amorim has a pointed crisis with Joshua Zirkzee Crocked and Rasmus Hojlund scoring only one goal in 27 games.

Maguire, who scored four important goals this season, said: “You can see that we probably have a shortage of attackers.

“We had two attackers in Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus who gave everything outside.

“We lost Josh, so if he asks me to go there, I am willing to go there.

“I see myself as a threat and I feel that I can cause problems and score a goal there when the balls and crosses come in.”

“I only got 30 minutes there and it's a lot harder to play back.”

Amorim has no plans to use Maguire as an attacker from the start – but he is impressed by the impact he can make.

The boss of United has seen enough in training and in competitions to know that the £ 80m man is a useful attacking weapon when needed.

Asked about the possibility that he started in advance, Amorim said: “To play a normal game, no. But at these moments it is something that is really important.

“When I see Harry and places him like a striker, I just see a man who is good in the box. He knows how to behave in that room.”

United stared at the prospect of No European Football next season when Lyon Teen took a 4-2 lead in the 109th minute in Old Trafford on Thursday.

But the home team hit three times in seven minutes to turn the quarterfinals upside down – where Maguire steals the glory with its winner.

If United Athletic Bilbao can beat in the semi -final and lift the trophy three weeks later, it would be huge for the Red Devils.

If that is alone, it would be worth around £ 14.8 million for United, while the Super Cup in Italy would bank another £ 4.3 million in August.

However, it is the ticket for next season's Champions League, which turns out to be invaluable for owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the glazers.

They would be guaranteed about £ 49 million because of their UEFA coefficient, while four home games would add another £ 20 million in income.

Moreover, even an average season at the top table in Europe – such as the One Neighbours City this season – would see them grab about £ 11 million in prize money.

If they reached the first knockout round, that would be £ 5 million more.

The Europa League also brought the start of Maguire's GoalsCoring exploits in October-a excellent last-gasp header to improve a six-purpose thriller in Porto.

Then the winner of the injury time of February came to the 2-1 FA Cup fourth round victory over his old club Leicester in Old Trafford.

Three weeks later he nodded the decisive goal of saving United's Blushes against relegation-related Ipswich in the Theater of Dreams.

So it should not surprise anyone that he used his Bonce again, good effect bending to bring his team into the semi-final at an unforgettable night.

Maguire, who seemed to be for the starting door less than two years ago, added: “It is an incredible feeling – I clearly succeeded in doing it a few times this year, the dying moments.

“There is no better feeling than to score here, especially if it is the competition winner.

“I have had some great moments in this club, I have been here for six years now. I have had some great times – and also some bad ones.

“That game summarized almost my time at the club.

“It was a game full of emotion and the strangest, craziest game I've ever played or witnessed.”

The United United United seemed to be touching a new low point while blew a 2-0 lead to trail ten-man Lyon 4-2 in extra time.

But three goals in seven minutes turned a Topsy-Turvy tie upside down, stealing the glory at the end with Maguire.

The Yorkshireman added: “This season has been so difficult for all involved, all fans, players and employees.

“It's just not long enough and if you get such moments, and memories you make, it's so important for fans to go home with a smile on their faces.”

The turning point was so incredible that you could not escape the feeling that their name might be just on the Europa League.

But they will have to perform much better to see the impressive athletic Bilbao outfit of Ernesto Valverde.

The fact that they sent four goals at home is relating to United Manager Ruben Amorim.

And only one of United's seven goals in the draw with Lyon was scored by a striker – and that was Zirkzee, who has since sustained a hamstring injury.

Maguire said: “We have to do it much better than if we want to win this competition. We can't do that and leave it to turn it into that situation.

“But it does show great spirit, fighting, togetherness. And that is all that this group of boys does – they give everything.

“The worst feeling was that we had the feeling that we had thrown it away, instead of losing the game at that time.

“Also how we have succeeded in getting ourselves in that situation.

“In extra time at 2-2, we can clearly not be done on two counterattacks like that if we play against ten men. It's a criminal.”

At that stage United looked forward to the count, even with an extra man.

But the sight of Lyon celebrated their goals wildly and to prepare themselves to mark a famous victory, seemed to ignite something in the players of United.

Maguire added: “I still thought there was a lot of time on the clock.

“And it was the 109th minute when they scored the fourth.

“I think they thought they had won it, as they celebrated.

“That gave us more an incentive to turn the game around.”

In stark contrast with their Premier League form, United is the only unbeaten team that has been left in the European competition this season.

And lifting the trophy in Bilbao on May 21, she would bring them back to the Champions League.

If that happens, the last late show of the inspiring Maguire will have been priceless.

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