Manuel Ugarte speaks on “great coach” Rúben Amorim, issues Manchester United message fans will love

Manuel Ugarte has opened up on working with Rúben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon as the 39-year-old becomes Manchester United’s new head coach.

Rúben Amorim has officially begun his role as Manchester United’s head coach, following the sacking of Erik ten Hag last month.

Despite being announced three weeks ago, Amorim’s arrival was delayed due to a dispute over his release clause with Sporting CP. Now that the issue has been resolved, the 39-year-old is ready to lead the team.

Read More: 90% pass accuracy, 2 chances created: Manchester United star shines in 7-0 international win

In the meantime, Ruud van Nistelrooy acted as interim manager, securing three wins and a draw. While his efforts saw some improvement, United remain 13th in the Premier League and 15th in the Europa League standings.

Amorim led his first training session on Monday morning as he begins the formidable task of revitalizing the club’s season.

Ugarte speaks on Amorim

United midfielder Manuel Ugarte played under Rúben Amorim 85 times during their time together at Sporting, and the 23-year-old has opened up on what it was like.

“It was so fast!” Manuel told club magazine Inside United of his move to Sporting just a few months after first arriving from South America.

“I arrived in January [to sign for Portuguese side Famalicao], and in June, I was leaving for Sporting. It’s one of the biggest clubs in Portugal, and I was very proud. I enjoyed my time at Famalicao and also at Sporting, where I spent almost three years. Lisbon is amazing –  the city, the people, the club, my team-mates. Everything.”

Further, Ugarte explained that one of the main reasons he felt comfortable in the environment of such a prestigious club was due to Rúben Amorim, who he described as a “great coach.”

“It is a warm place that treats you well, and you make lots of friends. That helped me be successful. I felt comfortable. We had a great coach [Ruben Amorim] who helped me a lot, too.”

Message United fans will love

Continuing, Ugarte explained that he knows just how much of a privilege it is to be at United, something that Amorim himself echoed during his opening interview with the club.

“We all know what it means to be United, with the history we have,” Ugarte said.

“The history, the fans, the mystique. I understand this responsibility and that starts with the day-to-day, being 100 per cent focused on the football and ready to win trophies.

“United matches are always on in Uruguay so we all know the history they have. When you come here, and you are with people who are part of the history, for example, [Darren] Fletcher — they transmit what it means to be United.”

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 Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.