Amad Diallo has revealed how his frustration under Erik ten Hag spilled over in the Europa League draw at Fenerbahce in October.
Diallo was signed by Manchester United from Atalanta in January 2021 by Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He made eight appearances that season then was loaned to Rangers in January 2022 for the rest of the term and Sunderland for all of the 2022-23 campaign, being voted the PFA Championship fans’ player of the year.
Ten Hag, who became manager in the summer of 2022, handed Diallo 12 appearances last season, the Ivorian scoring a memorable 120th-minute FA Cup quarter-final winner against Liverpool. Yet at the start of this term Diallo struggled to be a regular starter and at Fenerbahce was visibly upset when Ten Hag introduced Antony as a 73rd-minute substitute ahead of him. Diallo came on in the 89th minute when Antony was injured.
“I need the game time to show I can play for this club,” he said of his fight to establish himself. “In that moment I was a little bit frustrated because you can understand that sometimes maybe you deserve to play and you don’t play.”
Since Ruben Amorim succeeded Ten Hag in November, Diallo has been a first choice and one of United’s better players. “It’s because the manager believes in me,” Diallo said. “He believes in my potential. I’m trying to repay his confidence every time I’m on the pitch. I showed everyone I can play for this club.”
In February Diallo sustained an ankle injury in training that Amorim stated would rule out the 22-year-old for the season. But he returned as an 84th-minute substitute in the 3-0 Europa League semi-final first leg win at Athletic Bilbao on 1 May and is expected to start the final against Tottenham on Wednesday at the San Mamés Stadium.
“I did nothing special [to return earlier than expected],” Diallo said. “I just tried every morning to do my best with the physios.”
Diallo is fielded in Amorim’s 3-4-3 as a right wing-back or No 10. “I have no preference,” he said. “I just want to follow the manager and his system. The difference at right wing-back is you have to track back your defender and also you have to attack. No 10 is more forward.”
Diallo was an unused replacement when United lost the 2021 Europa League final against Villarreal on penalties and when Rangers lost the following season’s final against Eintracht Frankfurt the same way. He said: “I hope to win this one. I keep praying for that. It will be really good for me but also for the team because we want some things at the end of the season.”
