Alan Stubbs has praised Tony Mowbray for helping Amad Diallo rediscover his confidence. Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United stumped up an initial £25million for an unknown 18-year-old in 2019.
Chances have been difficult to come by at Old Trafford, with Amad making just three Premier League appearances. A loan move beckoned and it was Rangers who initially offered him the chance of regular first-team football.
The Ivorian bagged three goals in 10 appearances during the final months of last season, failing to make a notable impact at Ibrox. An underwhelming six months resulted in the Red Devils loaning him out for a second time.
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On this occasion, Sunderland became the beneficiaries, with Amad making a splash in the Championship. Nine goals for a mid-table side has helped the 20-year-old adapt to the rigours of English football.
An abundance of riches for Man United boss Erik ten Hag has plunged Amad’s future into doubt, with his first-team chances unlikely to have improved despite a stellar campaign on Wearside. Former Sunderland defender Stubbs, who had a five-year spell at Rangers’ bitter rivals Celtic, credited Mowbray for getting the winger back to full throttle after a disappointing time in Scotland.
“Amad Diallo has been terrific for Tony and I think he’s been getting the best out of him," Stubbs told Grosvenor Sport. "He didn’t have a good time at Rangers. Sometimes a player just doesn’t fit or settle.
“It can be even harder for a winger because he is in and out of the game but Tony has given him the confidence to go and do his stuff. I don’t know what his attitude was like at Rangers but he flitted in and out of the team.
"Now he is showing his qualities on a consistent basis and it will be interesting to see what happens when he goes back to Manchester United in the summer.”
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