Manchester United winger Amad Diallo spent last season on loan at Sunderland in the Championship. It was a positive stint for the Ivory Coast international and he has sent a warning to his teammates about Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final opponents Coventry City.
Amad may not be a regular in Erik ten Hag’s side, but the 21-year-old gained enough experience in the Championship to provide insight into the opposition on Sunday.
Under former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray, Amad starred for the Black Cats, making 42 appearances in total – scoring 14 goals and registering 4 assists across all competitions.
It was Amad’s last-minute strike against Liverpool that secured United a place in the semi-finals, so it remains to be seen if Ten Hag will name the Ivorian in his starting line-up at Wembley this weekend.
Speaking to club media (via ManUtd.com), Amad explained that Mark Robins’ side are not to be taken lightly despite playing in a lower division than the top-flight. He also made note of his former Sunderland team-mate Ellis Simms.
“We are excited to play that game against Coventry. I will meet Ellis Simms, who was my team-mate, the striker. I think my team-mates are ready for that game. We hope to win it and go to the final.
“It was an unbelievable day for me after that goal [in the quarter-final]. I scored the last-minute goal, against a big team like Liverpool, so I was happy. It gives me a lot of confidence after that goal. I trained every day in training to be ready for every game so I was ready for that game. If I play, or I don’t play, every time, I am ready on the bench. I was excited and that goal gave me so much confidence.”
Amad also recalled his last meeting versus Coventry, saying: “I remember we lost that game 2-1 but I scored a last-minute goal.
“They are a young team, Coventry and a very exciting team. I don’t know which team they’ve had this season but I remember, last season, they had a very young team and the striker Viktor Gyokeres, who went to Sporting. They’re a very strong team, who play football and attack and just attack.”
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