Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that Amad Diallo deserves more gametime after his stunning winner against Liverpool.
Following a hugely successful loan spell with Sunday last season – in which he inspired the Black Cats to the Championship play-off final – Amad was expected to become a key player for Man Utd during the 2023/24 campaign.
However, a knee injury ensured that the wide forward missed the entirerity ofthe first half of the season, and since then he has largely struggled for gametime under Ten Hag – playing just 46 minutes of Premier League football.
Amad was given a chance to impress on Sunday in Man Utd’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford, coming off the bench in the 86th minute and playing the bulk of the extra-time period.
The 21-year-old more than made the most of this opportunity, scoring a 121st minute winner to see Man Utd through to the semi-finals at their arch rivals’ expense.
Speaking about Amad to the press after the win, manager Ten Hag admitted that the youngster is deserving of more gametime than he’s been afforded in recent weeks: “I’m so happy for him,” said Ten Hag.
“He is one of the players with a huge setback this season, a bad injury, returning from it, but returning to a team where there is a lot of competition for his position.
“He does not always get the time to play he deserves by his training performances but then he is coming on, then he shows his contribution, scoring a goal. But we know he can do it, we know he has the key moments where he can decide a game.
“I am very pleased he got the winner. But we had another sub, Antony, who scores an equaliser, he is also in a problematic situation but you see he is fighting as well, he wants to contribute as well.
“I’m very happy with the bench today.”