Manchester United star Amad has been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award after a series of scintillating displays in a red shirt in January.
The 22-year-old winger has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Red Devils.
Amad has returned an impressive 9 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, despite often being deployed as a right wing-back by Ruben Amorim or, previously, as as a substitute by Erik ten Hag.
Four of these strikes came in the league in January – one at Anfield to clinch a draw against bitter rivals Liverpool and a sensational hat-trick to complete a comeback victory over Southampton at Old Trafford.
However, it’s not simply Amad’s goals which have caught the eye of admirers of his stellar performances this season.
The Ivorian international’s work rate off the ball has also been as impressive as his contributions on it.
Amad’s tireless work ethic and relentless pressing stand him in direct contrast to other attackers at Old Trafford in recent years, though Villa Park has recently welcomed one of these perpetrators while the Greek League hosts the other.
The pressure which has already emerged for the 22-year-old to provide the main attacking thrust of an otherwise lacklustre forward line is significant.
The departures of Antony and Marcus Rashford on loan in the winter window, and the continued abject form of strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, have left United reliant on Amad.
Alejandro Garnacho’s displays have improved in recent weeks after Amorim dropped the Argentine for the Manchester Derby at the same time as Rashford. However, the 20-year-old’s improved standards in training have seen him fully reinstated into the first-team, though he remains inconsistent in front of goal.
Bruno Fernandes, the club’s captain, has often been placed in central midfield by Amorim in an effort to improve the team’s ability to progress the ball from deeper on the pitch.
This has left Amad as one of the sole attacking threats in a side desperately short on experience and goals in the opposition box.
And it’s the fact that the Ivorian has surpassed expectations to assume this role as the backbone of United’s attack which has seen him nominated for the prestigious award by the PFA.
The other nominees are; Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Jean-Phillipe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Bryan Mbuemo (Brentford), and Alexander Isak (Newcastle).
United fans can vote for the club’s undoubted frontrunner for player of the season here.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
