Gary Neville says Man Utd star reminds him of Wayne Rooney after Man City win
Share:
Gary Neville drooled over Amad Diallo’s performance against Manchester City and suggested that the freedom with which he plays reminds him of Wayne Rooney. Manchester United’s poor Premier League form under new boss Ruben Amorim looked set to continue as they trailed for almost an hour after Josko Gvardiol put the struggling champions ahead ten minutes before half-time.
![[Manchester City FC v Manchester United FC - Premier League]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-2190188084.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But the away side – inspired by Diallo – completed a dramatic late turnaround to snatch a 2-1 win and pile further pressure on the defending champions. Diallo, starting in a more advanced position after Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were left out of the matchday squad, won the penalty which allowed Bruno Fernandes the chance to equalise from the spot.
![[Manchester United v Crystal Palace]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-51878049.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
And the Ivorian international then won the game in the 90th minute when he latched onto a long ball from Lisandro Martinez before rounding Ederson and finishing superbly into the far corner. The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the bright spots in what has proved a topsy-turvy start for new boss Amorim and Neville was full of praise for the winger’s performance at the Etihad Stadium.
‘For Manchester United winning, it was just one man,’ he later said on the Gary Neville podcast. ‘There were a couple of other decent performers – I thought actually Maguire, Martinez and De Ligt did quite well as a back three, they were quite solid – but there was nothing else in front of them other than Amad Diallo.
‘I called it in the first half and he was the player we featured before the game; he’s the only player who is playing with anything like the freedom and energy, enthusiasm, tenacity and belief that represents what you would expect in a Premier League footballer playing for the club.
