“Very proud moment”: United star celebrates special milestone despite painful 2-1 loss to Villa

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has revealed his pride at being named captain during the second half of the club’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday. Dalot sports armband Having joined United in 2018 from Porto as a highly-rated prospect, Dalot took time to finally cement his place at Old Trafford. He even spent the 2020/21 season on loan at AC Milan, but has since become one of the club’s most important players in recent years. Erik ten Hag relied on Dalot and Ruben Amorim has followed the same path, regularly deploying the player as one of the wing-backs in his preferred 3-4-2-1 system. As United fell to a 2-1 defeat to Villa, Bruno Fernandes picked up a rare injury that saw him withdrawn at the interval. Fernandes was replaced by Lisandro Martinez on the pitch but the armband was passed on to Dalot. It was the first time Dalot captained United. A member of the leadership group in the dressing room, Dalot spoke to club media and expressed his immense pride at receiving the honour. Dalot reacts to United captaincy The Portugal international said, “Yeah, it’s obviously a very proud moment.” “I look back to the first day that I arrived here and it was not even in my mind to one day wear the armband of this club.” Dalot continued, “Obviously I wanted to build my career here and be a very important player for the team. I think me being able to go through every phase that a football player can be at a club makes it even more special.” “But at the same time, I know that we have very good players that can represent the standards of the club and I’m just happy to be one of them.” United are next in action on Friday when they host Newcastle. It remains to be seen whether Amorim will retain Dalot as captain or turn to alternatives like Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Martínez, or even a returning Harry Maguire for the fixture. Featured image Alex Pantling via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Latest Top Stories… Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!