Ruben Amorim opens up on 'life-changing' coaching approach as he prepares to take over at Man Utd

The Portuguese coach will be taking over from Erik ten Hag, bringing fresh tactics and a renewed sense of purpose to the club. Amorim, who has signed a contract running until June 2027, will become the sixth full-time manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, marking yet another strategic turn for United in their quest for stability and success.

Reflecting on his impact on players, Amorim mentioned Matheus Reis, a player he coached at Sporting CP, whose career he greatly influenced. Since moving to Sporting in 2021, the Brazilian has flourished under Amorim's guidance, who in turn hailed the manager for a "life-changing" experience.

According to Amorim, his philosophy goes beyond merely training athletes; he aims to inspire them on a personal level. Speaking specifically on his connection with Reis, in an interview with TNT Brazil,he expressed gratitude for the player’s compliments and said: "I have full knowledge that I’m neither close nor far from the best, technically or tactically. I think that’s my great calling, let’s say. I like to help my players, I was a player, I went through a lot, and I treat them as human beings first and then we go to the rest, football is the rest. And so I’m much happier with this compliment than anything like inventing football and new techniques and tactics, and so I’m really very flattered by Reis’ words.”

Amorim’s Sporting CP crushed Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 4-1 with forward Viktor Gyokeres stealing the show by scoring a hat-trick. The win has amplified praise for Amorim and raised expectations for his arrival at Manchester United while many even comparing him to legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, Amorim was quick to downplay the significance of the victory in the broader context of his upcoming role at United and said: "No, I think, as I said, the result is deceiving. We are a team outside of the big five, and we are allowed to play like this. Defensively, waiting for the counter-attack.

"When you go to Manchester United, whether it takes a while or not, you have to face these teams, and it’s a completely different story. And so that’s the work we want to do there, which is not defending all the time. Manchester United have to face these clubs (head-on), and so it’s going to be a completely different story. There will be rivalry, I’m not one for big conflicts, I’m defending the team to the maximum, but let’s see what happens.”

While Amorim gears up for his new post, former United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy will maintain his role as interim manager for the team’s next two fixtures. The Dutch tactician will lead the squad in their upcoming Europa League clash with PAOK on Thursday, followed by a Premier League match against Leicester City on Sunday. Meanwhile, Amorim will lead Sporting for the final time against Braga over the weekend away from home.