Diogo Dalot is now key to Manchester United - but it may not have always panned out that way for the young defender.
The Portuguese was signed back in the summer of 2019 in a £19m deal from Porto. He arrived to great acclaim with then-boss Jose Mourinho suggesting he could go on to emulate club icon Gary Neville during his time at Old Trafford.
Speaking at the time, the former Red Devils boss said: "Everybody knows that he has fantastic potential. I don't want to compare, especially not the number of titles but he is probably the same age as Gary Neville when he came into the first team.
“Probably he can follow Neville in this dynamic of more than 10 years as United's right-back, with amazing conditions to improve, because as I was saying he's 19 years old."
Meanwhile, Dalot revealed that his compatriot Mourinho was a huge influence behind his move to Manchester. Speaking to Portuguese media last year, he said: “From the moment I had the conversation I had with ‘mister’ Mourinho, I think that, from then on, it was decisive.
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“The way he planned my coming here, what I might be able to do and what he believed I could do… The way this conversation took place was decisive.”
Dalot made 23 appearances during his debut campaign - showing his promise on a clutch of occasions. His opportunities decreased the following season though as he made just four appearances in the Premier League after the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace.
Man United paid £19m for Diogo Dalot back in 2018 (Getty Images)Who do you think was Jose Mourinho's best Man United signing? Share your thoughts in the comments below
That led to suggestions that he wanted to quit Old Trafford but Mourinho’s replacement Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not keen on an exit. With Dalot at a junction in his career, he decided to pursue a loan move to Italian giants AC Milan for the 2020/21 campaign - a move that the Red Devils eventually relented to.
The switch to Serie A proved to be a masterstroke. Dalot was key to Milan finishing second at the end of the season - and with it, helped the club to return to the Champions League for the first time in eight years. He has regularly explained that his spell in Italy was crucial to his development and helped him to become a better defender.
“I think it was probably the most important step of my career so far,” he said. “I think it was the time for me to regain, first of all, match fitness because I was not playing when I was here.
“When you speak about Italian football, you always think of the defensive mindset, the tactical battle. They look very much into the details tactically and I think it brought me a little bit more knowledge about the game.
“I’m also a guy who wants to learn and ask about things. I had a good connection with the manager back then and I was always asking questions and trying to learn more things, so I think it was good for me to learn a bit more.”
Dalot returned to Old Trafford with renewed vigour, despite Milan trying to keep him on a permanent basis. Solskjaer was left impressed by his improvement, while a series of Man United bosses since including Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag have regularly called upon him.
Dalot spent the 2020/21 season with AC Milan (Getty Images)His performances have also drawn praise from outside of Old Trafford. Dalot’s former Red Devils teammate and current Portugal colleague Cristiano Ronaldo is publicly a big fan.
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Speaking during his scathing interview with Piers Morgan, the veteran forward claimed that the defender was a shining light at Old Trafford. He said: "If you ask me what I see in Man United, Diogo Dalot is an example.
“He is young, but he is very, very professional. And I’m not doubting that he’s going to have longevity in football because he’s young, he’s smart, intelligent and is very professional."
Dalot was rewarded with a new contract at Old Trafford in the summer of 2023. He is now tied to the Red Devils until 2028 and will hope to continue proving to be a key player for the club despite his career not panning out as expected so far.
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