Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag once claimed that in-form winger Amad should have played more often during his time as manager at the club. Amad has been United's brightest star this season with six goals, six assists and a series of sensational showings. His most eye-catching performance of the season came on Thursday night when his stunning 12-minute hat-trick against Southampton rescued the Red Devils from embarrassment, as he steered them to a 3-1 comeback over bottom placed Saints at Old Trafford.
Under new United boss Ruben Amorim, the 22-year-old has also put in impressive displays against arch rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton in recent months, that has the United faithful convinced that the club have a genuine star in the making on their hands. However it all looked very different for the Ivory Coast star under Ten Hag.
It's hard to say whether deploying the gifted winger more often would have alleviated some of the pressures on Ten Hag, with the Dutchman actually playing Amad in several games this season before he faced the axe in October. However, it could be suggested that the former United coach had a diamond on his hands, yet didn't perhaps have the foresight to see it, as he often favoured other players in Amad's position.
For the sake of balance, Amad spent a successful season out on loan at Sunderland in Ten Hag's first season at the club, and the 54-year-old later accepted that he should have used the starlet more regularly. Yet his hands were perhaps tied due to Amad spending a lengthy time on the sidelines through injury, which limited him to just 12 starts for United last year.
