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Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has showered Amad with praise, celebrating his stunning rise from being initially overlooked to now being one of the most important players at the club.
Amad had to bide his time for first-team opportunities at United after arriving from Atalanta in January 2021. He spent loan spells at Rangers and later Sunderland, where he truly made his breakthrough and showcased his talent on a bigger stage.
Despite impressing during his spell at Sunderland, Amad was strangely overlooked by Erik ten Hag, who consistently favoured other attacking options like Antony, even when they were clearly struggling for form.
Ruben Amorim’s appointment as Ten Hag’s replacement finally saw Amad get his chance and he hasn’t looked back since. The Ivorian has been sensational and before he suffered an injury, was undoubtedly in contention for United’s Player of the Season award.
Amad has hit the ground running since his return to action. In United’s 4-1 win over Athletic Club on Thursday, which sealed their place in the final, he came off the bench and injected fresh energy into the side, capping his lively performance with a brilliant assist for Hojlund’s goal.
Hojlund spoke to The Mirror and said about Amad, “Amad is wonderful. I obviously knew him a bit before I came here because we played at Atalanta. Not at the same time, but they talked of him. He’s a great talent, what a player.”
“He came through the Atalanta academy. He’s a very good lad, very humble and down to earth. That’s why he is where he is now.”
“Last season he didn’t really have a lot of game-time but now he has shown himself and he is so calm and focused on improving. We know his qualities and this season they have been shining through. Full credit to him.”
Hojlund’s goal against Athletic was just his 10th of the campaign across all competitions.
The Danish striker admitted that he has been frustrated with his struggles but he never lost belief in his ability to recover and come good for United.
“We’re very happy about being in the final, but it can’t take away the focus from the entire season. Domestically it has not been good enough – but then again we play to win trophies and we are in a good position to win a European one.”
“I think we’ve been improving in the last few weeks, even though the results in the Premier League have not been overly good, just in Europe. But in the Premier League we are gradually getting there – although we know we need to get better.”
“Obviously there have been hard times for me. When you go without a goal for a lot of games – I wouldn’t say I lost self-belief, but you’re going to be a bit more down and a bit more frustrated. It’s been about going back to basics and focusing on what I can do to try and improve myself. I will check myself, chat with my team-mates, get in better positions…these sorts of things.”
“It is the hard times that make you better and you learn a lot from them. I have always said I know what this football club is all about and it’s a lot of pressure, but that is why I’m here. I want to show myself on the biggest stage. We are focusing on the opportunity we have here. That can give us something from this year to take into the next season – because winning a trophy is always important for a club this size.”
United are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host West Ham at Old Trafford. Kick-off is at 14:15 BST.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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