Meteoric rise of Amad Diallo – From near summer to Red Devils hero

Amad Diallo rescued Manchester United from the jaws of defeat again. With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Ruben Amorim’s charges were staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive Premier League loss at Old Trafford for the first time since 1930.

However, Diallo stole the show towards the end of United’s home match against basement boys Southampton last night. The 22-year-old needed only 12 minutes to bag his first-ever hat-trick in the Red Devils jersey, inspiring his team to a nerve-shredding 3-1 victory.

Betting enthusiasts trying to bet on United v Southampton would have used betting bonuses for football to back a home win, and they’d also have had an eye on United’s defensive issues an expected the visitors to score once.

However, even bookmakers that offered great odds a 3-1 win for the home side or a hat trick for young Diallo would not have been able to predict the exact manner in which United progressed (or not) over ninety minutes. It was all thanks to the young gun pulled off another late heroics to save Man Utd’s skin. Despite slightly progressing further up the Premier League table, United fans ecstatically cheered for their new hero.

The Ivorian’s career at the Theatre of Dreams has turned upside down in only a month.

Past struggles

Diallo’s prospects seemed dead in the water towards the end of Erik ten Hag’s regime. Frequently used as a substitute, Diallo couldn’t find consistency, even though he was dazzling during his season-long loan at Sunderland last season.

One goal and one assist at the tail-end of the Dutchman’s tenure nearly made Man Utd regret not offloading Diallo last summer. Ten Hag didn’t know how to use the former Atalanta teenager, often deploying him out of position.

A lack of regular first-team football didn’t bode well either. But all that was about to change.

Rise to prominence

Amorim’s appointment in November has launched Diallo into stardom. The Portuguese manager has altered United’s formation, instilling his trademark 3-4-2-1 set-up. Many Man Utd players are still adapting to the new system.

Yet, the transition has gone smoothly for Diallo. Deployed as a right wing-back, he has demonstrated his full potential, even though Amorim insists ‘he has a lot to improve’ via Express Sport. Despite Amorim’s words, Diallo is undoubtedly the face of the new dawn at Old Trafford.

He has blossomed in the past few months, becoming the team’s greatest attacking threat. Being Man Utd’s top goalscorer at this moment isn’t an achievement. But it takes nothing away from Diallo’s noticeable growth under Amorim’s stewardship.

Thursday’s treble saw the Ivorian leapfrog Fernandes as the club’s most prolific player in the Premier League this term. With six goals and as many assists, Diallo is single-handedly responsible for 46% of Man Utd’s Premier League total of 26.

Not bad for a player tipped for a permanent exit last summer…

Fan favourite

While fans are still debating whether Harry Maguire’s form is worthy of his new contract, everyone agrees Diallo deserves a bumper new deal. Man Utd rewarded their in-form star with a long-term contract last week as he committed his future to Old Trafford until 2030.

Now that Marcus Rashford is on the verge of ending his lifelong association with Man Utd and Bruno Fernandes picks up red cards for fun, Diallo has suddenly become one of the most popular figures among the club’s fanbase.

He won over the United faithful in mid-December’s Manchester derby. Before scoring a 90th-minute winner to turn the game on its head, he drew a penalty to initiate the comeback. It proved a turning point for Diallo’s career on the grandest stage.

Man for big occasion

Despite Manchester City’s struggles, single-handedly turning a match at the Etihad Stadium is a Herculean task. But Diallo passed it with flying colours before affirming his status as a rising global star with another goal against none other than table-topping Liverpool.

Then, what he did on Thursday was nothing short of historic. His hat-trick was the first scored by a Man Utd player in a Thursday-held Premier League fixture since Andrei Kanchelskis’ treble against Man City in November 1994.

He also became the first Red Devils star to score 3+ goals, create 3+ chances and complete 3+ dribbles in a Premier League game in over two decades. Indeed, Diallo is a gift that keeps on giving.

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