“I’m not going to lie…” – Man United star admits playing for the club can be his “worst nightmare”
Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot has admitted that playing for the club can be a nightmare at times, even if he relishes the challenge of taking the team back to the top.
The Portugal international has been at Man Utd since 2018 and is now one of their longest-serving players, and it seems he isn’t shying away from continuing to fight to get them back to the top.
Still, it’s clear that at times it’s far from easy for Dalot, who says he can’t lie about the huge pressure that sometimes comes with playing for a club of this size.
Diogo Dalot on life at Manchester United
“I mean, it’s not easy,” Dalot told the Telegraph. “I’m not going to lie to you. I could be here fantasising and saying, ‘No, this is easy. This is the best place in the world’. It is when things are going well. But it can be your worst nightmare if things are not going well. And how can you cope with nightmares? How can you cope with setbacks? First you have to be okay with yourself and what you are doing every day.
Diogo Dalot celebrates during Man United’s win vs Ipswich (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“That’s one of the things that I’ve always tried to do. Even when I was struggling here. Because I think it’s really difficult for you to come to this club and not go through that stage at least one or two times.
“[When you] get that feeling of all the world is against you. And when those moments come is when you’re going to really feel the happiness of this club. How good this club is. Because if it wasn’t good, if it wasn’t big, you wouldn’t feel that.
“And if you’re driven by energy like I am, if you’re driven by passion, I think it’s the best place to be. And I really found that energy through moments like this.
“Going to the stadium, feeling the energy of the crowd, being at maximum effort. I feed on that. And the biggest challenge for me is: why am I here for so long? Because I want to be a part of the team that puts the club back on top.”
Manchester United prepare for important derby clash vs City
Dalot will be part of the United team to take on Manchester City in today’s big game at Old Trafford, in what could be an early pivotal moment in Michael Carrick’s side’s season.
MUFC fans will be desperate to see the team pick up three points after only managing one league win so far.
Although Carrick has mostly done a fine job since taking over at United, it still looks like there is more improvement required to establish the team as genuine contenders for major trophies like the Premier League title.
Beating City, as they did in Carrick’s first game as interim manager last season, could again be a positive indicator that they’re heading in the right direction.
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