Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag explains Amad challenge as ex-Sunderland duo impress in Rangers win
Former Sunderland loanee Amad impressed for Manchester United in a pre-season friendly win over Rangers.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says this has to be the season where Amad steps up for the Red Devils’ first team.
Amad joined the Premier League club for a reported £19million, plus £18.2million in add-on, in 2021 from Italian side Atalanta but initially struggled at Old Trafford. The 22-year-old then impressed on loan at Sunderland in the Championship during the 2022/23 season, before missing the start of the following campaign due to a knee injury.
Sunderland enquired about re-signing the player on loan last summer, and in January, but were told he wasn’t available. Amad then finished last season in good form, scoring a dramatic winner against Liverpool in a dramatic FA Cup tie, before starting the United’s last three Premier League matches.
Amad was on the scoresheet again as United beat Rangers 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in Scotland last week, with former Sunderland academy player Joe Hugill netting the second at Murrayfield.
When asked about Amad after the match, ten Hag told MUTV: “We have to see Amad in a different way. Of course, he’s still young but he is not inexperienced any more. Last season he had bad times with bad injuries. Before that, he was in the Championship and he had a great season.
"At the end of last season, he had a very good time in our first team and played some good games. Now for this season, this has to be the year. It’s great that he starts like this.”