Leny Yoro, Manchester United’s young defender, is making a clear call to keep some of the team’s most experienced players around for the long haul. The Frenchman has been vocal about how much he values the guidance he gets from Harry Maguire and the strong winning mindset Casemiro brings. According to Yoro, holding on to these veterans is key for the squad’s growth moving forward.

After their 3-1 win against Aston Villa, Yoro didn’t hold back when asked about Maguire’s future at the club. At just 20, he emphasised how important the 33-year-old defender’s presence is. “If he can stay next season, it’s really good for us. So I hope he’s going to extend his contract, and he can stay with us. We’ll see,” Yoro said. His focus was firmly on the value Maguire offers rather than the uncertainty surrounding contract talks.

Yoro also opened up about the mentorship side of things. Playing alongside Maguire has been a crucial part of his development, especially in adapting to English football. “Harry has so much experience; he gives me a lot of tips and talks to me a lot on the pitch. That really helps,” Yoro explained. He even described how their communication works in real time: “He’s always asking where the striker is; we chat before games and at half-time about how I can improve my positioning." Playing with him is really good for me.”

Then there’s Casemiro. Despite the midfielder signalling he might leave this summer after joining for £70 million in 2022, Yoro is keen on the club reconsidering that. He pointed to Casemiro’s undeniable influence not only on the pitch but also within the team environment. “Everyone wanted him to stay. He’s hugely important and showed it again against Villa. His experience is unmatched here; he’s won everything. That kind of presence helps us a lot during games and off the pitch,” Yoro said.

On the broader picture, Yoro has been a significant part of United’s push to third place in the Premier League this season since his €62 million move from Lille in 2024. With the Champions League spot in sight, there’s a clear sense of determination within the squad. “Every player wants to play Champions League, especially at a club like United,” Yoro said. “This club has to be in the Champions League. Hopefully, we’ll get there next season. Every match matters, but this one was especially important because Villa are right behind us. We’re really happy with the result.”

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been found guilty of non-serious assault in Greece and given a 15-month suspended jail sentence, down from the original 21 months after a retrial. This all goes back to 2020, when police arrested him while he was on holiday in Mykonos with family and friends.

The legal process dragged on for years. Maguire’s retrial finally happened on Wednesday, after four delays. He’s still fighting accusations of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and attempted bribery from that night. Greek law meant his conviction got quashed automatically on appeal, so that’s why there was a retrial. Maguire skipped the hearing; he was busy preparing for United’s game against Newcastle. On top of the shorter sentence, he doesn’t have to pay a fine anymore.

All this started in the summer break between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, just a year after Maguire joined United for a then-record £80 million. He was the club captain and a regular for England.

Right after his arrest, Maguire told the BBC how he thought he was getting kidnapped. He said plain-clothes police pulled over his group’s minibus, yanked him off, hit him on the legs, and shouted that his career was finished. “They hit me a lot on the legs. It wasn’t on my mind. I was in that much of a panic. Fear. Scared for my life,” he said. Maguire tried to run off with one handcuff still on, not knowing who these men were. He also said, “I don’t feel I owe an apology to anybody. An apology is something you do when you have done something wrong. I don’t wish it on anybody. Obviously, the situation has made it difficult for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I regret putting the fans and the club through this, but I did nothing wrong. I found myself in a situation where it could have happened to anybody, anywhere.”

That first trial in 2020 caught him off guard. “It was horrible. It was such a quick turnaround; it was incredible. We got the pages for the transcript for the court the evening before. A big document, all in Greek. I hardly had any chance to speak to my lawyer. We were confident the case would be adjourned to give us more time to prepare and get the witnesses and the evidence that we have. For it all happened so quickly... we obviously didn’t expect the trial to go ahead,” he said.

Now, just ahead of his 33rd birthday, Maguire still refuses to settle the case with money. He wants to clear his name in court. He plans to appeal to the Supreme Court if he wins and the judgment gets thrown out.