Dalot loves fighting for his place

The Portugal defender feels a real connection with the Reds and is upbeat ahead of Saturday's return to Premier League action against Brentford.

In an exclusive interview with the official matchday programme, United Review, Dalot relayed how the varied experiences he has under his belt since joining from FC Porto in 2018, have helped him reach the level where he was voted Players' Player of the Year last term.

This season, the 25-year-old has been stationed at left-back rather than his more familiar slot on the opposite flank, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still sidelined, and new recruit Noussair Mazraoui on the other side.

Still making a valuable contribution, including an important block to divert Jaden Philogene's late shot away from goal in our last outing, the 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, he is determined to help United climb the table during this upcoming period, before another international break in November.

"If you want to be at the highest level of football, you have to be prepared for that [competition for places]," he told United Review. "I’ve been fortunate enough to have been through every stage at this club: playing, being injured, not being selected by the manager, playing every game…

"So I’ve been in every stage possible that a football player can be in this period of time, which brings me these experiences and helps me to know sometimes how some of my team-mates are feeling when things are not going so well.

"So I think that’s an advantage for a football player: to go through all these processes. I’ve been through them and fought for them and tried to overcome them, and I think I’ve been doing that and I still have to keep doing it. Because the expectations will get higher, the demands will always get higher, especially at this club. So I’ve been trying to do that."

Dalot's passion for his work comes across in the way he projects himself on the pitch and he enjoys celebrating key moments during games with the supporters.

It is a rapport he has built up over time and not a positive that he takes for granted.

"I think it’s something that comes when you’ve been with a club for so long," he admitted. "You start looking at the club a bit more than just as a player; than just something that you’re working for. And that’s the way that I like to approach things.

"Try to know how the fans would feel, how they feel, what they feel for the club, what they know about the club - these are things that I’ve always tried to know and to feel since I arrived.

"Obviously, when you spend more time on the pitch and you know the emotions that it brings to the fans, then you start becoming a little more like them. And think that’s the best combination that you can have: when you play for a club and you have that love for the club, I think it’s the perfect match."

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