Ruben Amorim has revealed one of the “small things” Manchester United defender Leny Yoro is doing in order to become a “top, top, top player” at Old Trafford.
Yoro joined the Red Devils in the summer in a £52m transfer from Lille but has has made just six Premier League starts having suffered an ankle injury on the eve of the season that kept him out for the first four months.
The 19-year-old has looked as though he’s struggled with the physicality of English football at times when he has played, but he impressed in the win over Ipswich and Amorim offered a possible explanation as to why.
“He is working really, really hard,” Amorim told MUTV. “I think he is gaining muscle, all these small things that you cannot see.
“I think he is going to be a top, top, top player and is going to have a great career here in Manchester. But for that, he knows that he has to prove [himself] in every match, so he is going to be ready for the next one.”
Earlier in the season, Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand backed Yoro to challenge William Saliba for the crown of being “the best defender in the world” after Virgil van Dijk hangs up his boots.
“I think he’s [Saliba] going to be the best defender in the world,” Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“Saliba will be the best defender in the world when Virgil van Dijk gives up that post.
“As soon as that happens, it could be in a year, it could be three years. Whenever it’s going to be I don’t see anyone else taking over.
“The only person I see, the person who I think will rival him and it will be close is Leny Yoro.”
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Mikael Silvestre, another former United defender, claims Yoro is “next in line” for France.
“From his time in Lille, we’ve seen that he’s athletically dominant, he makes the right calls when recovering the ball and has good timing,” Silvestre said.
“It’s unfortunate that he got injured early in pre-season because I think he will be a major force at United in the coming years. He still has some things that he can learn, of course, he is not the finished article, but he’s got so much potential. When you look at [William] Saliba and [Ibrahima] Konate for France, for me he is next in line.”
United’s team is still struggling to find consistency but Silvestre also admitted how Amorim should be allowed more time to shape his team how he wishes, especially defensively.
“Amorim is forcing players to adapt quickly at the moment and it’s not working,” he added. “You can’t just flick a switch from one day to the other for players.
“They have to suit what the manager wants. You see with Dorgu, this is a player who is meant to play in his formation, but I’m not sure [Noussair] Mazraoui or [Diogo] Dalot can do it properly.
“I think he is a good manager. It is just wrong timing. Coming in the middle of the season is always difficult and also the players’ self-belief is not there.”
