Manuel Ugarte will be reunited with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, and he’s given an insight into how the move has gone down with the rest of his teammates.
The Uruguayan played for Amorim at Sporting CP from 2021 to 2023 having been signed by the future United coach who spotted him at fellow Portuguese side Famalicao.
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Ugarte shone under the 39-year-old manager, and would pocket Sporting a transformative £55million when he left for Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
That stint in France only lasted one season before he headed to Manchester, and despite things not going brilliantly under the recently-sacked Erik ten Hag, Ugarte is now optimistic about the rest of the season.
“It’s positive, mainly because the club needs to start building a path, which is important, and the coach will be key to that,” he told DAZN after United’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea.
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Speaking about the reaction to Amorim’s appointment, he added: “My teammates have asked a lot about him. What surprised them was his age.
“He’s also very hungry to win and that’s very important. I can tell he’ll enjoy it.”
The deal for Amorim to replace Ten Hag was announced on November 1, but he won’t officially join for another ten days.
That’s allowed the two-time Primeira Liga-winner to say goodbye to the Sporting fans he’s taken back to the top of the league for the first time in a generation.
Amorim received a mixed but largely positive response when he returned to the Estadio Jose Alvalade for a 5-1 win over Estrela on Friday night, and although Ugarte understands the frustrations, he’s also excited.
“I saw that Sporting fans were upset and that’s understandable, because the coach is a great coach,” he said.
“It’s good for United, we have to take advantage of it and get him to convey his ideas as quickly as possible.
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“I think it’s going to be a different dynamic and the day-to-day will be similar to Sporting’s.
“The league, the country, the football… It’s a big challenge for him but we all know he has the ability.”
Amorim will officially start work with Man United on Monday, November 11.
He will first take charge of Sporting’s game against Man City on Tuesday.
Amorim said: “United came along, paid the clause, above the clause, and the chairman defended his interests. I never discussed anything with the chairman.
“The only request I made was that it would be at the end of the season and they told me that wasn’t possible, that it was now or never.
“I had three days to decide on something that would completely change my life.
“It’s not the first time that I’ve had my clause paid by another club. Nor the second. I wanted that club and that context.
“It’s just like Sporting. It’s very hard for me to leave. More for me than for any other Sporting fan.”
