Amad Diallo has been speaking about his time at Sunderland.
Former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo has reflected on his time on Wearside, admitting that he feels more pressure playing for current club Manchester United.
The Ivorian established himself as a firm favourite at the Stadium of Light during a season-long stint in the North East back during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 14 goals and assisting four more across 42 outings as he helped the Black Cats to the Championship play-offs.
Since returning to Old Trafford, he has forced his way into the first team picture, and has played an increasingly prominent role for United over the past few years. This term, he has made 20 Premier League appearances, recording five goal contributions.
But while Amad is evidently thriving in Manchester, the 23-year-old has suggested that he feels a higher expectation to succeed than he did during his previous spell with Sunderland, or indeed the four months he spent on loan with Scottish giants Rangers earlier in his career.
Speaking to Inside Carrington, when asked how the pressure of playing for United measures up, he said: “Very different, very different. United is special, I think. United, I think, this club is a winning team. They want to win every game.
“They want to win titles. I think the pressure is very different. Playing for Sunderland, you have less pressure, than playing for United. Even when you play for Rangers, you can feel that pressure when you play for Manchester United. Yeah, the pressure is very high, so you have to deal it and keep going. You have to win every game.
“I was so emotional playing for a big club like United. I remember my first day I was parking in this parking area and then I saw Juan Mata. He was doing the test for Covid in that time. So I was like, ‘Oh, this is Juan Mata’. I was like, ‘I can't believe it’. But yeah, also I went to the dressing room and I see players like Paul Pogba, big players, Eric Bailly. I was like, I can't believe it. I'm playing for United now. So I have to give everything. I have to do my best for the club because now I play for a big club.”
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What else has Amad Diallo said about Sunderland recently?
Elsewhere, having completed a transfer of his own to Wearside over the summer, Amad’s compatriot, Simon Adingra, revealed that the Manchester United star had helped convince him to join Sunderland.
Speaking to Sunderland’s official website, he said: "He [Amad] spoke to me about how big the club is, how passionate the fans are so if you give everything, then the fans will give everything back to me. He told me to enjoy it."
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