Amad Diallo has credited Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim for showing the confidence that has finally allowed him to flourish at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old winger is enjoying a breakout campaign in what is effectively his first full season at the club, having signed back in October 2020.
The Portuguese coach, United’s fifth since Diallo’s arrival, has not only handed him regular starts but has also helped maximise his potential with a clearly defined role in the side.
Diallo’s first meaningful start came in a home defeat to Arsenal last May, but his impact this season has been far more decisive.
Prior to Amorim’s arrival, he had made only three starts – each under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick in heavily rotated line-ups.
The winger’s journey has not been without its struggles. He expressed frustration under former manager Erik ten Hag, particularly after being overlooked in favour of Antony in a crucial tie against Fenerbahce.
“I need the game time to show I can play for this club,” Diallo told Manchester Evening News.
“In that moment (against Fenerbahce), I was a little bit frustrated because you can understand sometimes maybe you deserve to play and you don’t play. You have a little bit of frustration.
“But I think now it’s because the manager believes in me. He believes in my potential. I’m trying to repay his confidence every time I’m on the pitch.
“Honestly, Erik helped me a lot. He was giving me a lot of advice, even when I wasn’t playing. He was telling me to train very hard every time. That’s the most important thing when a manager keeps telling you to train hard, even if you don’t play.
“So I kept training very hard, very hard. I think this season, at the beginning, I was playing a lot with him. I want to thank him again for the opportunity he gave me and I want to wish him all the best.”
