Man United transfer target shows true colours as final Ruben Amorim Sporting team talk revealed

Morten Hjulmand showed his true colours following Ruben Amorim's final appearance in the dugout for Sporting CP. The 39-year-old took charge of his last game for the Portuguese outfit on Sunday night, masterminding a dramatic 4-2 win over Braga.

Sporting trailed 2-0 at the break, with Ricardo Horta netting a brace. Determined to bow out in style, Amorim made wholesale changes before the hour mark, bringing on Jeremiah St. Juste, Conrad Harder and Hidemasa Morita.

The latter, who replaced Daniel Bragança, halved the deficit just moments after entering the fray. Leading by example, Hjulmand netted an equaliser with less than 10 minutes to play, blowing the tie wide open.

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In the final minutes, Harder fired Sporting into the lead after combining well with Morita. Then, late into stoppage time, the 19-year-old striker doubled his tally after catching Braga on the counter-attack.

Upon the final whistle, Amorim was swamped by his players after inspiring a fairytale comeback. Speaking to reporters after the game, Hjulmand revealed that he and his teammates were eager to part ways with the new Manchester United boss on a high.

Revealing the Portuguese tactician's half-time team talk, as quoted by UIF, the Sporting captain said: "In the first half, it was not Sporting standard. At half-time, we spoke and we wanted to give Amorim a win for his last game so we are very happy."

Earlier this month, Hjulmand raised eyebrows after it was first revealed that Amorim would replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. The 25-year-old midfielder said: "I see it as a positive challenge to try to be champions without Ruben, which is the main objective of this season.

"Life goes on and we want to show that we no longer need him. It was difficult for me to know that he is leaving. I was sad. That he was going to leave me too. But in football, opportunities like these happen to players and coaches. It's part of football and I hope Ruben is proud to receive an offer of this kind."

Hjulmand added: "Ruben was one of the reasons why I came to Sporting. When you are coached by him, you get a clear idea of the way he sees football and how he sees us being part of the team. It's a very important image for the player, to know what his role is, what he can contribute to the team.

"It was very important when I joined Sporting. The way he sees the players, how he manages the team on and off the field... It's something I've never seen in my career. Manchester United will be in good hands with Ruben."

Interestingly, Hjulmand was linked with a move to United in the summer as Ten Hag looked to bolster his midfield. According to Football Transfers, the Dane was shortlisted by the Red Devils, who later signed Manuel Ugarte instead.