Ugarte remembers “great coach” Amorim

Ugarte remembers “great coach” Amorim

Manuel Ugarte has fondly recalled his time at Sporting with Ruben Amorim in a recent wide-ranging interview with Inside United, the club’s official monthly magazine.

The Uruguay midfielder has enjoyed a strong November thus far, earning plaudits for an excellent performance against Leicester City in the 3-0 league victory that preceded the international break.

Now on duty with his nation, Manuel showed composure and quality in the area to score a stunningly late winner for La Celeste in a World Cup qualifier. Ugarte had been named on the bench but played the decisive role after Colombia had equalised themselves in the sixth minute of added time. The goal earned Uruguay an important three points to leapfrog their opponents in CONMEBOL’s standings.

— CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) November 16, 2024

When he returns to Carrington, Ugarte will be reunited with Ruben Amorim, who helped him as a young midfielder making his name in Europe, just a few years ago.

“It was so fast!” Manuel told Inside United of his move to Sporting, just a few months after first arriving from South America.

“I arrived in January [to sign for Famalicao] and, in June, I was leaving for Sporting. It’s one of the biggest clubs in Portugal and I was very proud. I enjoyed my time at Famalicao and also at Sporting, where I spent almost three years. Lisbon is amazing –  the city, the people, the club, my team-mates. Everything.

“It is a warm place that treats you well and you make lots of friends. That helped me be successful. I felt comfortable. We had a great coach [Ruben Amorim] who helped me a lot, too.”

Ugarte has played more times (85) under Amorim than under any other manager in his young career and impressed sufficiently to earn a move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.

There, lifting trophies, Manuel says he learnt the winning mentality and enjoyed the opportunity to test himself against players like Kylian Mbappe in training.

He now feels at home with United, having been “desperate” to sign all summer. And his sentiments echoed those of his new boss.

Ugarte was everywhere v Leicester Video

Ugarte was everywhere v Leicester

INDUSTRIOUS UGARTE | Manuel made six tackles and completed 92 per cent of his passes on Sunday…

“We all know what it means to be United, with the history we have,” Ugarte said.

“The history, the fans, the mystique. I understand this responsibility and that starts with the day-to-day, being 100 per cent focused on the football and ready to win trophies.

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