Sport
Ruben Amorim picks out one Manchester United player he is already smitten with
Ruben Amorim has revealed he is in love with one of Manchester United's forgotten stars, with the player tipped for a bright future under the new boss.
Amorim spoke to the club's own media team on Friday afternoon, having just held his first press conference as head coach of Manchester United.
While many questions from reporters focused on his 3-4-3 system and whether he believes he can be the man to turn Manchester United around, in this internal chat it was one particular player who felt Amorim's love.
“I have to tell you that I love that child,” Amorim said.
'You can see in his eyes that he wants this so badly. And this is the most important thing for me.'
The player Amorim raved about was Mason Mount, who has seen his time at United ruined by persistent injury problems.
“I know he had problems with injuries, he wasn't on the pitch, but now he's trying to stay fit and we hope he can stay fit, to show all the talent he has shown, for example at Chelsea.” , said Amorim. added.
Mount was Erik ten Hag's most important midfield signing when he arrived in the summer of 2023. Amorim's predecessor believed the former Chelsea man could be an important piece of the puzzle at Old Trafford.
But injuries have held Mount back and he has been limited to just 26 appearances in a Manchester United shirt so far.
Mount has been out of the picture on the international stage with England, but that was to Amorim's advantage this week as he was able to work closely with Mount in training.
One of the appeals to Amorim at Mount is that he worked in a 3-4-3 system at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel and so understands the nuances that his current teammates are coming to grips with.
'He played in this system [before]so it's perfect for him,” Amorim added.
“I have two positions for Mason Mount, so he should be very happy!”
In the 3-4-3 system there are two spots behind a central striker and Mount competes with Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo to play in one of the two number 10 roles.
Mount was integral to Tuchel in that role in the 2021/22 season and Amorim is already enamored with Mount and his potential under his leadership.
Mount joined in a deal worth up to £60 million and is contracted until 2028, so getting a number from him is one of Amorim's priorities.
The midfielder rarely gives interviews, but even before Amorim's arrival he spoke highly of a team he believes can compete for trophies.
“We know what we can do as a group and I think we showed that at the end of last season,” Mount said in a rare club interview given last summer.
'We certainly have a group that can win trophies and that is the most important thing.
'We will keep trying to do that and stay focused on that goal because this is Manchester United and we have to set the bar as high as possible and we know how high the bar is.
'Now it's time for us to act. But we are ready, as I said, and win as many trophies as we can, win as many games as we can.”
Mount will be aiming for a starting spot in Amorim's first match away against Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon.