Sunday, March 17, 2024. FA Cup quarter-final. Manchester United hosted Liverpool at Old Trafford.
As that on-the-knife’s edge game traversed added time in the second half of extra time, the commentators on MUTV declared: “Amad has picked it up, and now Garnacho, into two minutes of added time we go. It’s Amad – he might just have won it! Amad with the goal! Can you believe it! What an afternoon!”
It was St. Patrick’s Day that day.
A day when Erik ten Hag needed to steer United to a win. A day that marked Jurgen Klopp’s publicised and final outing at the Theatre of Dreams. A day that went into the history books as one of the all-time FA Cup classics.
And yet another day when a promising United youngster completed a determined counter-attack in Fergie time and notched a win for United.
Amad became synonymous with exhilaration and a United fan favourite that day.
From Bergamo to Manchester
Born on July 11, 2002, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Amad joined Atalanta’s academy in 2015.
Following back-to-back exemplary seasons for their under-19s, he cut to Gian Piero Gasperini’s first team in 2019.
Under the tutelage of the seasoned tactician who is known for a high-pressure 3-4-3, Amad absorbed the purposefully imparted nuances of a right-wing player like a sponge.
Be it diagonal runs into the box after starting wider, recognising weak passes between the opposition’s defence that qualify for pressing runs, remaining alert to pockets of space that would establish passing channels with his midfield, and balancing dribbling with quick link-up play, Amad consistently demonstrated that he was an avid and effective learner.
Four minutes into the first-team debut versus Udinese, the youngster netted his first goal for the Nerazzurri.
In January 2021, Ole welcomed “one of the most exciting young prospects in the game” to Old Trafford. It did not matter that the Ivorian had made only five senior appearances for Atalanta at the time.
Rocky at Rangers and Superb at Sunderland
United loaned their talent to Rangers in January 2022, allowing the youngster to benefit from more playing time.
As with his Atalanta debut, he scored early in his first appearance for Rangers versus Ross County. A half-time substitution followed that impressive start during the Old Firm derby, and no starts in the ensuing three months.
Enduring his time on the bench was an early lesson on mental toughness – a prerequisite to standing tall against pace and physicality.
During the subsequent loan spell with Sunderland in 2022-23, the starlet scored 13 goals in 37 Championship appearances, ranking fourth for goals per 90 minutes among wingers (0.45) and exceeding his expected goals per 90 minutes (0.28) by over 50 per cent.
Sunderland finished sixth in the Championship that season and reached the play-off semi-finals.
Based on combined goals and assists, Amad’s performances for Sunderland stood out in games against Hull City, Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Preston North End, and Middlesbrough.
He carved a place for himself in the hearts of the Black Cats before returning to Old Trafford.
Exciting yet excluded under Erik | Absorbing and awarded under Amorim
Amad impressed Erik ten Hag during the pre-season outings in the summer of 2023.
The Dutchman praised and recognised the immense potential in the young player.
Concurrently, the former Ajax manager faced the ruthless pressures of winning matches despite the widely acknowledged need for a squad rebuild, as well as the expectations of signing exorbitant players like Antony, while also balancing the progression of youth in a pragmatic manner.
The sum of parts meant that Amad needed to continue excelling in training to remain in contention for playing time. An FA Cup run in 2024 saw his patience and persistence bear fruit under Ten Hag.
Amorim’s astuteness immediately noted Amad’s promising repertoire of skills, pace, mental aptitude, and overall adaptability. He awarded his prospect with playing minutes, and the youngster reciprocated.
Despite missing out for a few weeks in the latter part of the season, Amad accomplished joint top with Bruno Fernandes for the number of goals and second to his captain for the number of assists during the 2024-25 Premier League season.
The Ascend Awaits
Amad’s numbers for the 2024-25 season in comparison to his attacking peers are very impressive.
| Goals per 90 minutes | Assists per 90 minutes | |
| Amad | 0.41 | 0.31 |
| Riyad Mahrez | 0.27 | 0.33 |
| Jeremy Doku | 0.18 | 0.36 |
| Bukayo Saka | 0.31 | 0.52 |
Figures available at fbref.com
His ability to dribble, intelligent positioning, and off-the-ball movement, combined with his outstanding presence of mind, place him on the threshold of an exemplary 2025-26 season.
With reinforcements to United’s squad and the first full season of Amorim in waiting, Amad is among the youngsters who can make stellar contributions to catapult the Amorim era.
He needs to remember that getting carried away will not help.
However, with perseverance, many experts see potential in Amad for him to eventually join the company of the elite right-wingers who have graced the Premier League. I tend to agree.
How do you feel about Amad and his ability to spearhead this Manchester United charge towards perennial title-challengers?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels. Additionally, please feel free to contact Param.
Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images via depositphoto.com
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