Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has singled out Amad Diallo for praise after his Player of the Match performance in the Manchester derby.

The Ivorian won the penalty for United’s equaliser before bagging the winner. Taking to X after the 2-1 win over City, Ferdinand said that the winger has silenced his doubters:

“Written off by many inside and out the club. Too lightweight. No power. Can’t run. Too young. Big price. And more. But [Amad Diallo] is delivering, the desire plus quality is thriving.”

United paid €40m to Atalanta for Amad in 2021, despite the player having made only five senior appearances at the time. It was a lot of money but the investment is finally beginning to pay off.

It’s been a long road at United for the winger

Amad is actually in his fifth season at Old Trafford, having arrived midway through the 2020/21 campaign when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still manager.

The winger wasn’t ready to play in the Premier League when he first arrived and he went out on two separate loan spells to gain experience; one of which was more successful than the other.

Amad struggled somewhat after joining Rangers for the second half of the 2021/22 season but he then thrived when playing for Championship side Sunderland in the following campaign. For one reason or another, he didn’t play much under Erik ten Hag when he returned to Old Trafford last year but he has taken his opportunities following Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford.

A win against City is a huge morale boost

Amorim was facing the prospect of a third consecutive defeat in the Premier League before Amad’s late show turned the game on its head.

The manager will be hoping his team can use the victory as a springboard for better results over the coming weeks and months.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here