Give Amad the contract he deserves! Man Utd’s
Give Amad the contract he deserves! Man Utd’s, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the player who used to make Manchester United fans happy when skies were grey and now there is a new smiling assassin on the block who is letting them see the sunshine amid the clouds. The Red Devils were staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and facing three consecutive league defeats for the first time in nine years when Amad Diallo turned a wretched derby into an unforgettable win.
The winger’s show-stopping late show on enemy territory has entrenched his cult-hero status among supporters after his last-gasp winner against Liverpool last season. Amad said he had been “working so hard to live this moment”, but he has been bringing joy to the club for a long time already.
“I am so happy the team is very happy with me because I am a chill guy,” Amad told MUTV. “Every time we are training, I put a smile on everyone’s face. But in the game you have to be focused and give your best. We knew today was not going to be easy because they are among the top teams. But this is a derby and you have to be more hungry than them and we showed we’re hungry.”
Four years after signing for United as an 18-year-old at an eye-catching £37 million ($48m) despite only playing five senior games for Atalanta, the “chill guy” is turning into the club’s flag bearer. That initial investment is now handsomely paying off but the club need to show Amad how much they value him and lock down his future, ensuring he can keep them smiling for many years to come.
Always believing
Amad’s decisive display right at the end of the derby was both incredible and inevitable. He had always looked like the player in a red shirt who was going to make the most difference although things hadn’t exactly gone his way. But he kept believing, staying alert and waiting for the right moment, such as reacting quickly when Matheus Nunes underhit a backpass and then anticipating the Portugal international’s contact in the area.
He also kept believing when he latched on to Lisandro Martinez’s chipped pass and flicked the ball over Ederson before guiding it into the net. He explained: “When I have to press, I go with 100 per cent and I do not care who is there or who is not there, I go 100%. I was happy to win the penalty. I tried to shoot but I was maybe a little bit smart and saw the defender coming and he touched my legs.
“For the second one, we know Licha is a good player to give you this ball. At the beginning, I did not believe in the ball because it was going too quickly, but I touched the ball and I scored.”