Rio Ferdinand left stunned at just how good Manchester United star is under Rúben Amorim

Rio Ferdinand has admitted he has been stunned by just how good one Manchester United star has been since Rúben Amorim arrived as the new head coach.

Manchester United secured a dramatic late win over Rangers as Bruno Fernandes’ injury-time goal earned a crucial three points in the Europa League.

The first half was a cautious affair, with Matthijs de Ligt’s header disallowed for a contentious foul. United’s Amad and Joshua Zirkzee, as well as Rangers, had chances, but the score remained goalless at the break.

Jack Butland gifted United the lead in the second half, punching a Christian Eriksen corner into his own net. Alejandro Garnacho hit the post before Cyriel Dessers levelled late on for Rangers.

In stoppage time, Lisandro Martínez’s pinpoint cross found Fernandes, whose emphatic finish sealed victory for Rúben Amorim’s men.

Ferdinand stunned by Amad’s recent form

Amad was once again great as United faced Rangers, and although he was a little less impactful than previous weeks, he continued to be direct and tricky with his feet, with Rangers often putting two players on him.

Amad has played both as an attacking midfielder and right wing-back since Amorim joined United in November and has excelled in both roles, which has left former United defender Rio Ferdinand stunned.

Speaking with TNT Sports ahead of the tie, Ferdinand was asked directly if he had expected Amad to be just as good as he has this season, to which he replied: “If I’m totally honest, no.”

Elaborating further, Ferdinand explained that the reason he is shocked is there is such a huge contrast between Amad before Amorim and the player he sees now.

“He went out on loan, went to Sunderland, done very, very well. We speak to the people there. They loved him,” Ferdinand continued.

“He came back and still wasn’t really an integral part or a real piece in the jigsaw.”

What Amorim thinks about Amad

The 22-year-old scored his first senior hat-trick last week during a 3-1 win over Southampton, where his three finishes inside 12 minutes helped United secure a much-needed three points.

However, Amoirm has been keen to explain that the Ivorian international must keep his feet on the ground and continue to grow as a player.

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“I didn’t say anything to him, I will tell him tomorrow,” Amorim said after the Southampton win. “But he has to rest, eat good and prepare for Sunday because we will need him again.

“He did a great job, it’s a great moment for a young kid to score a hat-trick for a club like this. But he needs to focus on the next match already…

“The important thing is to win and he helped us to win. He’s doing a very good season. I’ve already said, you have to be careful with young kids. He did a really good job today.

“He has a lot to improve but this game is in the past and you have to prepare for the future. Football is like this and life is like this.”

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