Amad Diallo reveals his most underrated trait, Erik ten Hag must use his gift

Amad Diallo has explained what many would perceive has his most underrated talent, and it’s a gift Erik ten Hag must use at Manchester United.

Amad Diallo has become a beloved figure among Manchester United fans, though his career at the club feels like it’s just beginning three and a half years after his arrival.

Under Erik ten Hag, Amad has emerged as an essential player, following multiple loans, time spent on the bench, and a knee injury that significantly halted his progress.

Read More: Leny Yoro and Rasmus Højlund update provided as Man United fans warned

His loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland were instrumental, with the latter proving particularly fruitful. However, a pre-season injury last summer sidelined him for the first half of the 2023/24 campaign. Upon his return at the end of December, Amad saw limited game time initially.

But, after stellar performances against Newcastle and Arsenal towards the season’s end, he has rightfully earned his place in the club’s forward line. At 22, Amad is now seen as a crucial player for United’s future.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday evening, Amad was asked where he feels he plays his best football. He replied explaining that he is able to play across the entire forward line.

“My first position was number 10,” he explained. “When I was in Atalanta, I was number 10 and after that they put me on right winger. But yeah I can play number 10, I can play right winger. I can play left winger.

“So I can play everywhere in the forward [line]. And yeah, I’m ready to play every single position in the forward [line].”

This is an incredibly underrated trait that not many players across world football can possess while also sustaining the talents that Amad offers. United, however, have multiple players who have shown this.

Alejandro Garnacho performed brilliantly across both flanks last season, Marcus Rashford has shown he can play across all three of the forward positions, and new signing Joshua Zirkzee has proved at Bologna that he can play both as a striker and as a deeper creator.

However, Amad’s admission that he can play as a No. 10 is probably the most striking and useful.

United’s current first-choice No. 10, Bruno Fernandes, is a creative machine. But beyond him, there are not as many creative players in the squad. Mason Mount is a fantastic and technical player but may not possess the same creative ingenuity as Fernandes.

However, Amad might. Ten Hag must use Amad’s tactical and positional flexibility to his advantage, as it will help create an even more chaotic United front line, which the Dutchman has shown he wants to create at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag wants to have a front line that isn’t rigid or set in stone. He wants his players to be able to constantly shift, which unsettles defences and causes havoc in front of goal – something United were synonymous with during the days of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Three and a half years after he signed, Amad could be the answer to what United fans have been looking for.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.