It’s often easy to forget that Amad Diallo is only 23. In the five years since he joined Manchester United from Atalanta for a reported £19m (about $25m) plus add-ons, the winger has seen plenty of ups and downs.

Once a much-hyped prospect, Amad struggled to earn minutes at United in his first season with the club and was soon sent out on loan to Rangers and Sunderland. Now, three years since he returned to Manchester, Amad is no longer sidelined or dismissed; he has become a difference maker.

To see Amad today is to see an emblem of hard work, guile, and skill, a man transformed from squad player to star. His impact extends far beyond the Premier League: at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), he made himself Côte d’Ivoire’s No 1 man.

In the 2025-26 season, no Red Devils player has provided more progressive carries, per FBref. Because of this, Amad has become imperative to United’s buildup: when opposing teams implement a high press and force passes out wide, it’s often Amad who receives the ball, beats a defender and drives upfield. And when defenses...