Manchester United begin 2026 in the mix for a European push, with boss Ruben Amorim hoping to continue the progress his team has made since last seasons hugely disappointing 15th-place finish in the Premier League.
The 40-year-old arrived at Old Trafford in November 2024 with a reputation for being one of Europes best young coaches, having won a pair of Portuguese titles during his three seasons with Sporting.
The Red Devils hoped that the hiring of one of Europes most progressive young coaches would be the catalyst to the club becoming title contenders again and after a tough start, the club appear to be on the right path.
Former Arsenal mans praise for Amorim
Amorim worked with a number of high profile players during his time with Sporting and one familiar face to Premier League fans believes that Manchester United have got one of the games best coaches.
Hector Bellerin has worked with the likes of Arsenal Wenger and Mikel Arteta during his time at Arsenal, but believes few coaches have left such an immediate and lasting impression as Amorim.
Bellerin spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign at Sporting and although his time with the Portuguese boss was short, it proved to be highly influential.
Admitting that adapting to a new league was tough, Bellerin believes he benefited from Amorims clear vision and coaching methodology.
Football-wise, my time in Portugal was tough, but I learned key lessons, Bellerin told FourFourTwo. I found a great coach in Amorim, who for me is part of the new school of coaches.
He was very good at the simple side of the game and I loved his ideas as a coach. It was really good to learn from him.
Even though it was just a few months, I picked up so many concepts that Ive taken with me to this day.
Bellerins six-month stint in Portugal came after his emotional return to Barcelona had turned sour, as he made just three La Liga appearances during the first half of the season, but he clearly credits Amorim with getting his career back on track.
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