Manuel Ugarte reveals Man Utd squad shocked by one aspect of Ruben Amorim appointment

Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte has revealed that his teammates have been left shocked at one aspect of Ruben Amorim’s appointment to replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The current Sporting boss will take the reins at United from November 11, bedding himself in during the upcoming international break, having penned a contract until June 2027.

That slight delay means Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in charge of the first team until Amorim arrives, with the 39-year-old’s first game set to be against Ipswich at Portman Road on November 24.

The Sporting boss has already developed a glowing reputation in management and won two league titles with the Portuguese side.

And now Ugarte, who played under Amorim at Sporting from 2021-23 before moving on to PSG, has revealed how United‘s players have approached him with questions about their incoming boss – and that his age has certainly raised a few eyebrows.

“‘My teammates have asked a lot about him. What surprised them was his age,” Ugarte told DAZN.

“He’s also very hungry to win and that’s very important. I can tell he’ll enjoy it.”

He added on his teammates’ reaction to the appointment: “It’s positive, mainly because the club needs to start building a path, which is important, and the coach will be key to that.”

READ MORE ➡️ Six Man Utd players who could benefit from Ruben Amorim being appointed as next manager

Ugarte urges patience from Man Utd fans 

While midfielder Ugarte expects Amorim to do well in his new role, he has warned Old Trafford fans to keep their expectations in check at first as there will certainly be a bedding in period.

“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.

“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 has two more games as Sporting boss before he takes over his new role, with the small matter of a Champions League clash against Manchester City in Lisbon on Tuesday night followed by a trip to Braga on Sunday.

It will then be almost two weeks until his first United contest at Portman Road, with games against Bodo/Glimt, Everton and Arsenal to follow.

Latest Man Utd news: Van Nistelrooy wants United stay / Amorim to move for prolific striker

Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nisterlooy has made clear his desire to stay at the club, with his “focus” solely there despite the fact he was “looking to manage” before returning and has got that wish.

Van Nistelrooy has overseen two United games in the wake of Erik ten Hag’s sacking and while he was in management prior to joining as an assistant, and revealed his desire was to continue on that path, the Dutchman now feels staying put at Old Trafford is where he is best served.

Meanwhile, United have been given a significant double boost amid links to Viktor Gyokeres with Florian Plettenberg stating why he believes Ruben Amorim has already decided to make the Swede a top target and with another report also detailing why it is ‘certain’ he will leave.

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