Amad celebrates five-year anniversary

The Ivory Coast international, currently representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, had already made the breakthrough at Atalanta in Serie A but the signing was viewed as a gamble.

However, our no.16 developed during loan spells away from the club at Rangers and by proving his quality with Sunderland, and returned ready to compete for a spot in the first team.

He had to bide his time but took his opportunities and has become a firm favourite with the Old Trafford faithful.

"My first day at the club, I was happy, but I was emotional to sign for this club because I wanted to play for Manchester United," he told us, when looking back on his arrival here, after the transfer was delayed until January to allow for the opening of the winter window.

"I still get to try to do my best and to make history in this team. The first days were unbelievable, but I want to do more for this club."

After making his debut in the Europa League against Real Sociedad, he came off the bench in the same competition to head home in a 1-1 draw with Milan at Old Trafford. It was an improvised finish to prove there was much more to this tricky little winger's armoury than first appeared.

"When you dream to play for this club, you dream to score more goals, and I was happy to score my first goal," he said. "This happening in the Europa League was unbelievable and, this moment, I can’t forget. I had the photo with my team-mates Eric Bailly and Bruno Fernandes. I was so happy to score the first goal in this moment.

"I don’t score a lot of headers because I don’t have a lot of time in the box [at situations like corners] but when the ball is good, when I’m in the box, I can try to score with a header. This moment when I scored the first goal for United with a header was unbelievable because it looked like a Chicharito goal [against Stoke], it was similar."

An assist on his Premier League debut, against Leicester City, suggested he was capable of making goal contributions but, after featuring in the final-day win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he did not make an appearance until a home UEFA Champions League tie against Young Boys, in November of the following campaign.

In fact, this was a match where interim boss Ralf Rangnick decided to take a look at his wider squad. Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal were blooded, and Tom Heaton also came on to make his debut, but, after injury had blocked a loan move abroad in the summer, and also hampered his progress, a deal was arranged with Rangers for the January to provide regular first-team football.

It was a switch also clearly designed to toughen up the youngster, who admits he gained valuable experience north of the border, while never really showing his true colours. The Ibrox outfit did win the Scottish Cup and were beaten finalists in the UEFA Europa League but it would be fair to say they never saw the best of the skilful wide man.

"I played a couple of games in the team, with the club and I enjoyed every moment there," he recalled. "I learned a lot from everyone there and it was good experience for me. I can take only good things from this club."

The following August, another loan switch ensured Amad would become ready to return and play Premier League football. His season in the Championship with Sunderland provided an environment where he flourished. 

Loved by the supporters at a club he describes as "beautiful", the shrewd deal allowed him the platform to showcase all of his talents and become totally accustomed to English football.

A knee injury at the start of the next term appeared to only delay the inevitable as he finally made another long-awaited breakthrough in the final game of 2023, replacing Antony in the 54th minute of a 2-1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.

He managed only 10 minutes, against Fulham, across the next 11 league matches but there was a moment that will forever etch his name into the club's history, in a dramatic Emirates FA Cup tie win over Liverpool. Breaking to latch onto Alejandro Garnacho's pass to score at the end of extra time earned lasting adulation from the club's entire fanbase.

"This moment is the best goal, most important goal right now in my career because of the feeling of the game," he recounted. "The atmosphere on the pitch, the team, we were playing against Liverpool. So, scoring that goal in the last minute meant a lot for me and we won the FA Cup at the end, so it was unbelievable.

"I was so happy to score, but firstly I was happy for my team-mates because we weren’t in a good position at that moment."

Amad started to earn more trust from manager Erik ten Hag in the April and May, scoring against Newcastle United in a 3-2 home victory.

He played the extra-time period of the FA Cup semi-final shootout victory over Coventry City before, despite being left on the bench, being able to celebrate lifting the trophy with his team-mates after the famous triumph over Manchester City.

Approaching the 2024/25 campaign with renewed confidence and expectation, he competed for a place in Ten Hag's line-up, scored at Brighton & Hove Albion, and started to produce a number of assists. A run of six in six league games included the maiden goal of Ruben Amorim's spell in charge, teeing up Marcus Rashford at Ipswich Town, as he adapted superbly to the new system, showing the diligence and intelligence to embrace a wing-back role.

When also stationed further forward, he emerged as a key figure for the team, earning a penalty and scoring a late winner in the Manchester derby, bagging an equaliser at Anfield and smashing a hat-trick against Southampton.

An ankle injury in mid-February threatened to end his outstanding campaign prematurely but he did return, scoring against Brentford and Aston Villa but being unable to prevent an agonising Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.

This term, Amad has continued to be a source of enterprise and penetrative play, with his absence due to AFCON sorely felt.

When he returns, five years into his United career, he will be embarking on the start of a new chapter, following Amorim's departure.

What is for sure is that the platform will be there for the 23-year-old to kick on and further cement a place in the hearts of the United fans, developing into the sort of game-changer that we all know he can be.