Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has followed up his appearance on MUTV for the Arsenal game by visiting Carrington and speaking with head coach Ruben Amorim.
Silvestre, who made 361 appearances for the Reds between 1999 and 2008, watched the squad train at Carrington on Monday, after fulfilling his punditry duties for our season opener.
Mikael enjoyed spending time with our head coach and he discussed the meeting with us when we caught up later in the week.
“It was the first time I got to speak to him and yeah, it’s the same as we see in the media,”
said Silvestre.
“He is very likeable and transparent and also committed to do his job. He wants to get the club back to winning ways and to be again a dominant force in England and in Europe.
“You can feel his desire and his willingness to do that, so it was a nice touch for him to come and speak to the guests who had the privilege to attend training on Monday.”
The Frenchman is optimistic about United’s chances this term, having been in prime position to see last weekend’s clash between his two former clubs.
“I think European position should be the target. That would mean progression,” Mikael added.
“I think whether or not we qualify for the Champions League is too early to say, who knows towards the end of the season? So getting back into European competition would be good.
“I think this year it's actually good that there's no European football during the week, so the team can work together and improve.
“The manager will have more time to set up the players and prepare for each Premier League game and the FA Cup and the League Cup competition.
“But yeah, towards the end, if we are in Europe, that should be the aim.”
Mikael was speaking to promote the upcoming Legends clash between former stars of Celtic and United, in Glasgow.
Away tickets for the encounter – to be played at Celtic Park on Saturday 6 September – are still available from our away tickets page here.
Silvestre can’t wait to pull his boots on for a good cause again, alongside former team-mates including Michael Carrick and Wes Brown.
“I am excited because it's always fun to go back on to the pitch, enjoy the football while we can, because it's physically challenging, but to get back and to meet former team-mates.
“It's also nice because for the ones who are overseas, we don't get to see each other that much. At least once a year we know that we can get together and have some fun.
“For both foundations it's a great opportunity and a massive one because in one event, you can raise a lot of money, and we know how crucial it is to participate because it makes a difference to the lives of many youngsters.”