Amad is realising his potential at Manchester United having blossomed since Erik ten Hag's exit.

After a difficult loan spell at Rangers in 2022, few would have imagined the Ivorian making it at Old Trafford. However, his fortunes would change in the 2022/23 season when he joined Championship club Sunderland on loan.

It was there that Amad rediscovered that sparkling form which is now shining at United in the present day and which also manifested itself during his academy days in Italy. Back in 2021, shortly after the winger had made the move to the Reds, Boca Barco's president Enzo Guerri retold a story of what had happened when Serie A clubs had come to watch his player prior to him joining Atalanta.

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"The memories are all pleasant (of Amad)," he told Tutto Mercato. "Amad started playing in our youth sector, from 2014 to 2015, from 12 to 13 years old, and already at that time, you could see that he had something more than the others.

"I remember a very funny conversation with a Roma scout. He came to see him in a match and, after a chest-oriented stop by Amad in the fifth minute, he turned his back to the pitch and walked away.

"I immediately asked him for an explanation, and he replied: 'Only potential champions do things like that at 12 years old. Seeing him in this match is of little use to me, take him to Rome to train with ours.'"

Despite the Roma scout, who had travelled 282 miles to watch the five-minute performance, being clear that Amad was a future star and should be snapped up, the winger would eventually choose Atalanta and Guerri believes he knew why. "At Atalanta, on the other hand, they made him play from day one with the boys a year older than him," he explained.

"In short, Amad has always been predestined (for the top)." So far this season, the 22-year-old has managed four goals and six assists with six of those combined goals and assists coming since Ten Hag left the club.