“This surprised me…” Manuel Ugarte names two Manchester United players who have exceeded his expectations

Manuel Ugarte has opened up on two of his Manchester United teammates behind the scenes as Rúben Amorim’s men head into a tense final few months of the campaign.

Manchester United are set to enter a tough final ten weeks of the season as Rúben Amorim looks to end the 2024/25 campaign on a high.

After being knocked out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, the Europa League has become United’s only hope of bringing in silverware at the end of the season, with the club sat 13th in the Premier League table.

Winning the European competition is also United’s only chance of unlocking Champions League football next campaign, which comes with significant rewards with the club sitting in the middle of a financial crisis.

In the last few weeks, many of Amorim’s players have stepped up a gear, with Matthijs de Ligt and Bruno Fernandes leading the way while Rasmus Højlund and Alejandro Garnacho are back among the goals.

Ugarte names two players who have surprised him

Another player who has unexpectedly stepped up in recent weeks in 18-year-old centre-back Ayden Heaven, who has started the club’s last two games.

Although the player suffered an injury against Leicester City, there are indications that his problem is not a serious one, and United midfielder Manuel Ugarte was full of praise for the youngster in a recent interview with The National News.

“He’s a very strong guy,” Ugarte said of Heaven. “This surprised me about him, the personality he has. He’s played very well in the last few games. Let’s hope he isn’t too bad and that he recovers well and is ready for what’s to come.”

The Uruguayan international was also full of praise for club captain Fernandes, who has scored five goals and provided two assists in his last three appearances against Arsenal, Real Sociedad, and Leicester.

“Bruno is doing very well,” Ugarte said of his teammate. “He’s at a very high level. His quality in terms of goals, assists, and how he’s committed defensively is important.

“He’s the captain, and we all look up to him. I feel comfortable playing with him. He’s a very good person on a daily basis.”

Fernandes and Heaven are leading examples

The two players Ugarte mentioned above are players who are leading by example through showing that those playing for United need to stay calm during a turbulent time at Old Trafford.

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With the club having lost an overwhelming number of matches this season, earlier in Amorim’s tenure it seemed as if the players started to panic whenever things did not go their way, but in recent matches, this has not happened.

Alongside De Ligt, Heaven has shown incredible composure in his opening few appearances at the club against tough opposition, and Fernandes has shown himself to become a more calm and composed captain, while becoming even more ruthless on the pitch.

Both Heaven and Fernandes are showing themselves to be leading examples of how to act during a time of crisis under Amorim, who will no doubt be grateful for their recent displays.

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