Ruben Amorim’s former Benfica teammate Roderick Miranda has said that the Man United boss was the “changing room clown” as a player.
Amorim‘s first season at Old Trafford has certainly been a slow start, as his side went into the international break 13th in the Premier League table after a 3-0 win against Leicester City before the break.
The Red Devils have one shot at silverware this season in the Europa League, but if they fail to win that, they will miss out on a place in European football next season, which would be a huge disappointment.
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However, many agree that Amorim’s job at Man United will be a long-term rebuild, and so the boss will need to be patient and positive towards his players through the toughest times.
His former Benfica teammate however revealed something slightly surprising about the Portuguese manager, saying that he used to be the “changing room clown” as a player.
Speaking to Flashscore Miranda said: “I never thought he would become a coach! Not because of his football skills or his intelligence, but because he was the changing room clown. He had a really fun personality and was always doing something to make people laugh.”
Amorim and Miranda played together at Benfica between 2008 and 2012. They won one league title together and four league cups. Miranda is now playing at Melbourne Victory in Australia.
He added: “When I heard he started as a coach I was a little bit surprised and wondered how the guy I played with could become so serious! But he was a very intelligent player. He could play in many different positions, so maybe that’s why he’s a brilliant coach, because he has such a great understanding of the game.”
Amorim will be under pressure next season
The United boss almost had a free pass this season, as he took on a squad who were dishevelled, unorganised and lacking any sort of creative flair.
However, after a summer transfer window where he expects an exodus of players and a plethora of new signings, Amorim will be under pressure to deliver results.
Next season, the club will want to be in the European places and likely challenging for the Champions League, something that could be tough because of the emergence of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and more.
Click here to see Man United’s first team squad for the 2024/25 season.