Diogo Dalot: I won't hide and I will not play the victim | Why Amorim was so important

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0:29Obviously, you were involved in the last regime with Amarim there. You were behind the scenes, you saw how things went. What would you have changed yourself, given hindsight? I would look at Ruben as something really, really important in this club's history. And I think it's a little bit bold to say it and people might not believe it, but as soon as he came, he changed a lot of things that you don't see. Diogo Dado is the second longest serving player at the club. So he's in a unique position to tell me what's really gone on. I always say that the three toughest jobs in the world is Man United manager, Man United keeper and Man United striker.

1:08And I've seen him be made a scapegoat on social, so I'm wondering how that has affected him. As long as I wear the shirt, I will not hide and I will not play the victim. But you know what, he was really quick to credit Ruben Amarim. But I think he created a great group of players that we have now. Now things are more positive at the club, I'm eager for Diogo to tell me what changes Michael Carrick has made. But when we have to defend our box, we defend our box with our lives. And then when we attack, it's fast play, it's direct, it's that high tempo. And by the way, you're really going to enjoy this episode because you get to see behind the curtains of a player that's been here for many, many years.

1:45And seeing it all.

1:51You know what, it's refreshing to see someone actually turn up early. I know, I know. It's part of the DNA. How you doing, man? You getting more days off with Carrick? Is that what he's doing? Yeah, to be honest, we have given a couple of time to enjoy with the family. Is it? It's been good, yeah. You're lucky. If you combine that with wins, it's always perfect. Everything's easier, everything's better when you're winning, isn't it? No, much better. Much better. Especially here, you know, it's just... It's too much. Yeah. It's too much. The pressure is crazy. What were you into now? I see you invested in the paddle thing.

2:26Paddle? Yeah, I've been... Do you play? Only holidays. Yeah. I'm a little bit... Are you good? I'm not bad. OK. I'm not going to put myself there. Who would you say that in the group is the top paddle player? In the team? Yeah. I think Leacher plays well. Does he? He likes to play sometimes on days off. You can see the way he plays football. Leacher. Tom Heaton thinks he's good, man. Tom, I've heard they played against him and it was not that great. Sene, I think he's okay. They played with him also. Okay, thank you. So we have a couple ones. Do you want a coffee? No, I'm okay. Sure. You drink coffee?

3:02I know you drink. Yeah, you do. Okay, good. Every day in the morning, just a little bit. I never drink coffee in my life. And when Cristiano came, we always had, you know, he cannot be still in his room for three hours. He has to move. He's everywhere. So he would text me, kid, let's go for... Kid, is that what he calls you, kid? He's called me kid. Let's go for the... He's keeping you down. Yeah, let's go for a chat. Let's go for a walk. In the hotel when we were waiting for the games. And every time we would sit like this, like you and me talking. And I have nothing. And he has his coffee and said, kid, just try.

3:36Put milk, whatever, something. But then it became routine. Gross, isn't it? Gross. And now I asked to be with milk. But where is it milk? Yeah. Did you drink cold coffees at all or not? No, I never tried. Oh, you know, I was going to ask you as well. Did you know I played with John Woodgate? John. Oh, really? At Leeds. He went to Madrid, no? We've talked to him a little bit because as soon as he came, as soon as he came, he started speaking Spanish. And Casemiro was like, Spanish. And me also, and, you know, Spanish guys, more Latino guys, we were talking with him. And then you do a little bit of research.

4:10But he's a very, he can be very serious, you know, and at a certain time, he can be very funny also. Yeah, funny. One of the funniest guys. Exactly. When he was a player. But I'm telling you, as a player, unbelievable. Nice. He was top. To be honest, the first week he already had really good insights, you know, for us in the back line and trying to give us the right positions and the right body position. So he gave us a really good feedback. It was a nice surprise. Well, good. And Johnny, what about Johnny? It must be hard for like, not hard, but it's strange. Yeah, Johnny was fine because you can still see that he is much He used to be a player, but it was great to have him back.

4:47I think his perspective is still a little bit more like us, so we can give that feedback to the coaching staff. I have to see Steve Holland, obviously, he's very well known here. He's very impressive. He's very impressive. Really nice. I mean, when you bring that kind of experience and what I like about him is because you've been in this scenario a lot of times, being an interim manager, so he knows what kind of energy we need, what kind of words he has to say to us. So really, really surprised. I knew what I was expecting with Kerik because I knew him already, so I knew kind of what we were going to get.

5:30But from the coaching staff, it was a very big and good surprise. It's mad because I mean, I've seen you around the Carrington before, I've seen you on away trips and stuff even at Old Trafford I've seen you and the last couple of years I'm thinking to myself there couldn't have been a better time to sit with you in the last couple of years because you look confident now the team's in a much better place it's just it's not it's not under a cloud like it used to be I think the club is completely different whether I think it's difficult for you to to see it sometimes when when results are not there but if I compare the club how it was seven years ago when I arrived, it's a completely different club.

6:08Whether we're talking about structure, the people inside, I think I have, since I arrived, from the staff that it's around the first team, I have maybe one or two people. So everything has changed. But like you said, there's not that cloud anymore where you're doubting all the time and just feel a little bit more like the club should be. It's mad. You're in like a unique position. I mean, and to give the viewers, the listeners an idea, you've, you've, from the perspective of the last seven seasons, you've been here, I think only Luke Shaw has maybe been here longer than you. Yeah. So, the second longest serving player.

6:47Obviously, Ronaldo Rashford, the players, was here as well. So, you've seen a huge, huge, huge change, an overall of the place. What are you seeing? I mentioned all those managers' names there. What is the difference with Carrick? I think the biggest advantage of Carrick right now is him knowing exactly what it is to play for Man United, what is to be around Carrington, what the people need from you, what the fans expect from you, what this type of game will be. and I think that's the idea. One of the things that he, one of his biggest strengths I think is the balance that he has. He will never be too high, never be too low.

7:31That's exactly how I explained it. Exactly. And that energy, when he came he knew exactly what to say to us and then that we need to play, very key messages, one or two things that you need to go to the game and be aware of it and then just play the game. I think that's been how we've been this last couple of games and we are being fortunate enough to be playing better than we were playing before. In saying that and the four games that he's had to manage up to this point, what is the Michael Carrick Man United DNA, would you say, if you could put it in words? I think it's something that without the ball we are closing very well the middle.

8:13So we're allowing him to play a bit more on the outside and then we make them press. I think we're defending the box really well. One of the things that we already spoke about and we have to try to improve is a little bit more intensity pressing like middle third, a little bit higher the pitch. We can be a little bit more intense pressing. But when we have to defend our box, we defend our box with our lives. And then when we attack, it's like, you know, if you ask a United fan what they love about this fast play, it's direct, it's that high tempo, it's lifting the stadium. and you could see against City the way we played, even against Spurs against 10 men.

8:55But we had that intensity, we were playing on the front foot and I think that's ultimately the DNA of the club. What's the asking that made it different for you and the team now compared to what it was previous? I think the biggest difference in my game from the last couple of seasons of the last year and a half was because when you play as a back four, as a fullback, you always have the winger in front of you. So you always have that option. And obviously, when you play in the position where you were playing your whole life, you feel a little bit more comfortable. And I didn't remember the last time I played two or three games in a row as a right back in the back four.

9:35So this is... Do you feel more comfortable like that? Because you grew up, I'm presuming, you tell me if I'm wrong but you grew up as a right back, you've always been facing the game and seeing the game and one of my things about the previous regime was that you among other players were playing in a position that seemed a bit foreign, like for instance just body shape, receiving the ball, you had your back to play sometimes and the defender behind you. Even if I have to play left back it's completely different the way you position your body. Listen, if you ask me to play left back now I would feel comfortable but it was something and that I had to learn and to adapt also because the last couple of years we had a lot of injuries and there was no option to left back.

10:16So I played a lot of games. If you ask me to play wing back for 50 games, I can play. Am I going to be the best left wing back in the world? I don't know. We'll try, but probably not. But if you ask me to be the right back, that I can compete. I know. and the way that I work, the way that I think, what I can give to the team, that I can compete. But what I would say then, the other part is that brings you other things, playing in other positions, and that's one of the things I will never refuse. You want to learn, you want to try. Yeah, I don't like to say no, I don't like to people think that I cannot do it.

10:53I will try, I will ask, with Ten Hag I remember when we were building up, I was doing six, Casemiro was by my side. And I remember in training saying, just tell me body shape, how do you put it? The first touch, you like it more like this or should I give two touches? And it gives you feedback constantly and all of a sudden, you play one, two, three, four games there. Now, if I have to go in a certain moment of the game in the midfield, I'll be more calmer. Because in the midfield, you have to think fast, especially in the Premier League. You always have players and people coming at you really quick.

11:28So that adds you a little bit more into your game. And that's the way I look at it. But now if you ask me, Diogo, where do you feel more comfortable? I would say obviously right back is my position and where I think I can be one of the best. But I will never say no to playing in another position. What's it like though for a player? The size of this club, the spotlight and the attention that you guys get. What's it like when you're... Because you've been at times, maybe a skateboard at times. stuff's been personal maybe sometimes what's it like for a player in today's game to deal with that type of stuff?

12:03I think it became a little bit more difficult because of obviously what is happening online nowadays everybody can say whatever they want unless you live in a cave you're going to be aware of what has been said or what is happening. But to be honest, because I've... My football career, professional career, was all the time here. So I had to learn how to balance that. I had to deal with it. How do you deal with it? How? What I always say and I always try to pass to my teammates, at least as long as I wear the shirt, I will not hide and I will not play the victim. because people will talk about you every single week.

12:58And if you play well, they will say you play well. I will not hide and I will not play the victim. And I think it's one of the things that I try to put in my head all the time. And that's why you see me, if you will lose a game, I will be there. And now having this responsibility a little bit more of being one of the leaders at the club and in the squad. I think that's my responsibility also. Just on that and dealing with criticism, Martinez recently criticised him. You were talking about ex-players and the legends of the club. Scolzi, Nicky Butt, that little situation. What's the change of him like in those moments?

13:38Because obviously I'm involved in this. You go both ways. You always have the funny part where you say, hey, you see what he said about you and what you're going to do. You're going to answer. And you always have the other side of it. you have different kinds of profiles. For example, Licha, this gives him more energy. It's like, okay. In that week, he was very calm, really relaxed. And you see how he played the next game or against City and this type of situation. But he can have the other side where players get too much affected by it. And that's why, you know, that's why some, I also agree that you guys have some responsibility to try to be careful what is said because it can really affect some players.

14:27Our job, that I feel is my responsibility also right now, is to try to pass that energy of, okay, it's normal. They're going to say they are entitled to their opinion. If they think you're not good enough for Man United, they can say it. But then it's for you to show that you can do it. But I see something here. And we have a good group of players, in my opinion, that can go far. And this responsibility that we have, and one of the things that I want the most is to be a part of that team that put Man United back on top. Is that what spurs you on? Is that what every day your energy is? That's what feeds me.

15:15That's what feeds me. And that's why, you know, we won against Arsenal and City. You finish the game and I sat down, I went or I arrived home and I said to my wife, this club is crazy. Why? Why? This club is unbelievable because you just beat the two best teams in the country for the last two or three years. and you beat them deservedly you won that game sometimes you can win games but they I don't know they were on top of you all the game but we actually played really well and we controlled the games and and you see we can compete with anybody if you're like this obviously you were involved in the the last regime with Amarim there and you was behind the scenes you saw how things how things went what would what would you you have changed yourself given hindsight?

16:07I would look at Ruben as something really, really important in this club's history. I think it's a little bit bold to say and people might not believe it, but as soon as he came, he changed a lot of things that you don't see. He is a guy that, I don't know, if you speak to him, he has to be in a place where he has to be disciplined, has to be standards, has to be... And he tried to do that straight away, whether you like it or not. And we have to adapt really quick of, okay, it's this way. We have to set up really quick and this way of thinking. And because I knew what he did in sporting in Portugal, I was a little bit more aware of what was going to happen.

16:55But I didn't know him before. So obviously, I think what didn't work was what we did on the pitch in terms of results. But I think it created a great group of players that we have now. And if you see it, the squad that we have now, it was obviously about three really good, four really good players from this summer that add that quality to us and brought us that, I think a little bit step up that we could be in this position that we are now fighting for Champions League places. Obviously, there are always sad moments when this happens and I've had a lot of moments like this Because ultimately you're judged by the results.

17:41So his legacy, would you put it down simply like discipline, culture and standards? Yeah, I think he tried really hard to implement that straight away when he arrived and you know here you don't have that much time to prove that you are good to be here unless you win games. and unfortunately we couldn't win as much as we wanted. What I wanted to understand as well, you know, I think because it's such a squad game, right? And there's positive times, there's negative times. And I think there were situations in the Amarim period where you go like, well, he made a bold call, like you said. And I think he was very brave in some of the decisions he made.

18:21Even the thing where some of the players said, listen, them guys aren't going to be part of the squad. Just the dynamics in the squad, what does that do to a squad? You're on the other side of the fence. The message that I try to get from that is not because I have to do what he asks you to do unless you're out. No, it's just asking you to, okay, this is discipline. This is standard. This is giving value to what the team needs. And you cannot distance yourself to the team because training will not be as good or the level will drop. these things of that I think now because we had that also and we've been through that experience even as a group if we see something like this happen naturally we're already going oh careful or if you're talking about little things of not in the military or not in the army but you should be able to feel free to do some some things and the club gives you everything it gives you nutrition, he gives you a psychologist, he gives you physical coaches, he gives you everything for you to succeed.

19:33You have your own responsibility. But there's also club rules and some things that you need to follow because it's what the club demands. Who are those leaders? Because you're talking about leadership there and that's like a part of any dressing room, any environment, you need some core leaders in the team. It's never normally just one guy. There's normally a cluster. The tendency is always the more experienced guys. If you look to our squad, it will not be difficult for you to guess who they are naturally. But what is beautiful about it is that you have a lot of different types of leadership.

20:09And that's the beauty. You have to play with those characters. Sometimes it's better if Bruno goes to say something. Sometimes it's better for me if I say something. sometimes Licha, sometimes Harry, sometimes Kase. Who's the shouter? Who's the master? That was me. That was a... Every now and again I'll chat a room in a game like screaming. In the game there, I think Bruno is the most vocal and I think it's important for him being the captain of the team. I think he gives good feedback. But you also have, for example, Kase is very quiet, but when he speaks, everybody listen because he almost doesn't never speaks.

20:44But when he does it, you kind of... and you have that different type of leadership. Harry is vocal as well. Lice is vocal. I try to be really vocal, but sometimes it's more to give you positive energy, not so much to to to avert you or something. This is the type of things that that you can play in a squad. It's not always the same the same player. And then you have people that you can see they have that thing, but they have to be worked. And I think I was one of those guys that I've seen myself as someone that was leading by example. But then you also learn and you also have to learn how to be a leader.

21:29And this is something that I've been trying to grow. You mentioned Bruno there, who's the captain of the football club now. You've been here the whole time he's been here. How have you seen him evolve into this person that has the armband now and is the leader of the team? How has he evolved? What have you seen? I think he was probably one of the, if not the only one that I've seen that arrived to the club and was pretty much always in the same level. He could be really, really good and really good. You know what I mean? He has been really consistent and one of the things that I think is the best attribute that he has is the availability that he has.

22:10He's always there, no matter what. And because he's always there, the pressure is always higher. And people are expecting all the time that he decides games and he's always decisive. And to be fair, he's been, even in our lowest moments, he can deliver and he can help us. The biggest traits that he has is because he's always been consistent and in a very high level. And he pushes always up the pitch, as I like to say. and obviously it's a pleasure to play with players like that. I've played with a lot of good players here, but Bruno was one of the only ones that stayed and could keep that consistency and that is really hard to have in a club like this.

22:58You got the armband earlier this season, you've won it. What does that, not many people on this planet get to put the armband on it? I cannot lie, it was a really proud moment for me. In that moment, I couldn't think what was happening. But in the end of the game, when I arrived home and I see my wife and I see my father, especially because my father came since I was six years old. He was with me all the way and he looked at me and said, you wear the armband of Manchester United. And it's just a pride moment. Because it's not easy. They just don't give you just because. And if you look through the club's history, I've seen and I've met a lot of great captains of the club.

23:47So individually, it's one of the proudest moments that I felt of being a part of this club.

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24:31Kobi Meynu. So he didn't play, there were 20 games, didn't play this season and is now playing and just looking like a Rolls Royce, looking smooth, looking great. Obviously the manager has been the big change for him, but talk to me about Kobi Meynu. That just shows that in football, at least the way that I think, no matter the manager that you have, you have to work the same way. And people might say, Diogo, you've been here, you had eight managers. Yeah, but during these eight, nine managers, I tried always to be the same. And probably that's why I played a lot of games with pretty much all the managers, because I worked the same way.

25:20I tried to train hard the same way. And for Kobe, he could have gone the other way, because it's really hard for you. With 20 years old, you played almost 80 games for Man United, first team. You played first team for England's national team. Go on in the FA Cup final. You've been there at the top, and all of a sudden you don't play. For him to go through that experience, I think it will benefit him for the future. And I think he feels that now. He valued a little bit more training, because he had to train all the time. Just training, just training, just training, just training. If you ask a guy that gets injured for a long time, he's not thinking about playing.

26:06He's thinking about one training session. Let me do one training session. Let me do two, please. Let me do three. Let me do just a jog in the beginning. And then it's just that thing. If you value those first few steps first, when you don't play, I can guarantee it will be easier. I saw him when he came to the first team. He was like this. All of a sudden, he's a beast. He can hold players. He can do everything. And I think, again, if you ask me about that situation, I think you will benefit a lot from going through that. because in the beginning obviously when when you came i played i played not regularly but i played a lot then when all i came that's when the period that i that i didn't play as much and in this period of time real was the best period of my career in in the time that i didn't play and i tell you why because i and i had to build my base and sometimes people think or players think the bases is playing all the time my base was training I didn't play I was not an option I struggled a little bit with injuries so I had to come back not being an option I had two or three full backs in front of me so I had to train all the time how do you stay engaged in like cuz some a lot of people were like well they've bought me and I've got two or three put players in front of me oh they don't rate me, they don't like me, I need to look somewhere else.

27:35How do you stay engaged and focused? The reality was I got injuries, they bought Bissaka at the time for 50 million, they wanted him to play, then I was physically, I was not there because I was coming back from injuries and, but in my head, I could play all the time. I always had that confidence that I could play, But in reality, I was not going to play. So my base was in training. And I will never forget, I don't know if you remember that, but even Kerry, I remember he came to me and said, you're doing everything fine. You're training well. Michael said that when he was a player. You're doing everything well.

28:12You just need to keep going. Your time will come. But this is difficult to understand at the time. He's 20 years old. You just think he's a lot of, yeah, he's just giving me the talk. It's easy to say to me it's easy to say that but but it was the reality and if you check my phone I don't have videos of games at that time. I have videos of training. I would ask the Analyst guys to send me the training videos because that that that's how I Gain energy. That's how I look at it and said, okay, you're going in the right direction I could I'm not gonna say I was the best in training But I was one of the hardest workers in training and I had those videos and I went I was going home real and I was watching and that was my base.

28:53It's the only thing I can do. The only way you get back in is training. Is training work. So I had that period of time where in one season I had 10 appearances. I think it was my second season here or third, I don't remember precisely, but I had 10 appearances. So in this, you know how hard it is in a season you only play 10 games. In these moments, combining with injuries, You know, I've heard the other day that you have read somewhere that you had a lot of back problems and you had to struggle with. So imagine how it is for you to deal with pain and not playing and had training was my energy.

29:34I couldn't wait. I was imagine I was not in the squad. So I was always obviously going to the dressing room all the time. I was feeling ashamed of going to the stands. So I would watch the game in the dressing room on the physio bed. I asked the analyst to put in the TV and was watching the games there. Because I was... That thing of... I cannot be... I cannot face the people because I'm... I think I'm able to play here. And that... It's crazy. The only crazy thing is, is that at this time, around this time, I messaged Cristiano and I said to Cristiano like, Diogo Dalot, is he going to be any good or what?

30:15like we're not seeing what's going on obviously the injuries in and out of the team yeah even now i was questioning like what is this kid going to be good enough and i'll never forget he messaged me back saying listen ria uh the boy will be okay he's a top boy that's what he said yeah there's a point where i sit with ole at the time and then i say listen i understand the the position that i am now but i need to play football i'm physically well i'm training well there is no point where I need to play football and he agreed the club agreed that I not go somewhere else and I go to Milan on loan one season I played a lot of football in there but in the back of my mind I always I'll go there but I come back yeah come back yeah I tell my I told my agent listen we can go on loan but I went without an option to buy and that's one of the things that I said okay but I like it because I want to go but I want to come back and that summer that I come back is the summer I met Cristiano.

31:12Was that a big change in your life? No, it was a career changing in my opinion because I thought I was professional, I thought I was okay in that department but as soon as I met him he took me to another level because once you private every single day with him you understand, you played with him, you know the energy that he has that can be, it can pass that energy to you really quick and really easy. And I remember the first few chats that we had, and I was a little bit uncertain. I was coming back, but all of a sudden, there's a few options that came that I could leave the club permanently. But I always said to him, I sat down with him, I said, listen, Chris, but I want to play here, but I don't know.

32:00And he said, stay. And that confidence showed away, I said, okay. and put him back in my mind as soon the time that I spent with him, I'm going to enjoy it 100%. So I had to take everything from him in terms of knowledge, in terms of how he thinks, because I was having an opportunity that not many players had and seeing him every day, it was life changing for me because the consistency that he had was what impressed me the most. and putting that into my life, into my career, it changed me. What are the specifics? Are there any specific things that you saw him do and you were like, I need to do it, I have to have that?

32:45No, imagine we would come into Carrington in the morning, we would do breakfast and I'm okay. I feel fine physically. We said, let's go to the gym to do the preparation. So Chris, but you're feeling that you need? Yeah. No matter what, we go to the gym 30 minutes before everyone, all of us together a little bit of bike talking about things you would do it it likes to do more in the sauna yeah no more in the in the gym but no matter the circumstances we would be there same time after training you like to go to do stretching in the gym but yeah Chris do you feel like you need a stretch I I don't care.

33:29I have to do it. But sometimes it's not just because he needs it's because it's that discipline that he has that no matter the situation, you need to do it. And I brought that into recovery wise, being a little bit more consistent, thinking a bit more about my health. Because sometimes players think about just on performance and not about health. and it's like a little bit of that cycle of if you take care of your health performance will come after. So that's this little bit mind change that and some perspectives that he gave me he helped me to. When he returned did he did he affect the culture in that way like not just yourself did you see that spread to other players as well?

34:14Yeah, especially in moments where players think they can relax a little bit more, you win one or two games. That's when you would become a little bit more alive, saying, oh, you are a winner. This is what winners do. You win one or two, three, four or five games in a row, you need to win the sixth. Because people will only... In football, you are as good as your last game. And they forget really quickly what you did for the last month. So it was almost like always being on top of us, but you would always try to give you good energy to feel you comfortable. But if you feel in the dressing room, you feel that the level is dropping a little bit, you would make yourself a little bit more vocal.

35:01And when profiles like him speak, you always try to, you know, you feel the room, the energy of the room changes. and sometimes it's really important for you to have people like that in the dressing room. Just talking about it there, it just pricked my mind about something when he was at the club, sort of like the second spell and people saying, I bet he doesn't press. I'd like to get a player's thought on that, like you were there and I was one of the guys going like, listen, he's scoring 20-odd goals a season. If anyone's not going to press, it's going to be him. But what was it like for you?

35:35It really depends on the context, it really depends if for the manager is something that is non-negotiable. And I think at the time, you know how he thinks, he has to have energy to score goals. So it's almost like he's thinking, okay, you want goals? I need to be fresh when we win the ball to go there and to be in the box and feel fresh in the mind. And even in that short period of time, it was really decisive for us and you see how many goals he scored. But that'll be the same with you guys in the World Cup, if you're looking forward to the World Cup now. That's exactly the same, like is it you get people saying oh you can't play all the games or can they win it with cristiano which i find is crazy right but what you you're playing you're one of the players in the squad like how do you guys see that with someone like cristiano i think we'll always we'll we'll always be a better team and a more dangerous team with him on the pitch if you tell me can he can he run like he used to run for 90 minutes like he was five or six years ago of course not but he is the one that adapts really well he knows where okay if I feel a bit more fatigued but I need to do one or two pressings here that the team needs a little bit more momentum he will do it and if you see it's not that kind of he cannot run but if you see the data he still has a lot of pretty good he used to send me the data back in the day really so pretty good sprint distance and high speed he can reach still some good levels but what I would say if the other teams if they see Cristiano in the lineup, it's not going to be the same if he's not there.

37:07Psychologically. And you have to play with that also because, you know, he knows and he actually says it. Listen, in the box, just come into the box because at least one guy will be with me all the time. They cannot leave me alone in the box. Otherwise it's a goal. And that's his mentality. And we have also as a team, we have to play with that, with that advantage, because if you see him in the box, you're always trying to find him or where he is and then he gives space to other people to score goals. To go back to yourself now, I think it's a... When did you feel the best Diogo Donat at the football club outside of the training period that you said?

37:48First or second season when Tenag was here that I played, I think I played every game that season and I was feeling really good, feeling comfortable physically, feeling good with the way we played because I felt that I was really important in possession. Without possession, I could have really good impact. Did you get players' power of the year that year? Yes, that year. And it was a season that meant a lot to me because that, not because of the trophy, but we also won the FA Cup that year. And then that feeling of recognition from your teammates, for me, is really important because that's the people that see you every day and the work that you put in every day.

38:33And it was a season that I will remember and set a little bit of the foundation that I want to build for this next couple of years. I want to be as consistent as I can. And I know that that season I showed a really good level. Hopefully I can combine that with collectively we can compete with the best competition. I think that's the goal for everyone. What did Ten Hag give you that year for you to be the best version of yourself? Because I think it's always important we have a lot of young players that watch this podcast. I think he saw on me qualities with the ball that no other manager that I had previously saw me.

39:17I mean, for him to be able to come to me and say, listen, on the goal kick we're going to be a six. You're going to play alongside Kazimena? I said, I look at him and I said, really? I like it. And all of a sudden I was training bounces and I had to turn when they are pressing and find Bruno in the 10th position. And it's not, you would see obviously Guardiola start putting right back says no number six. And I was looking into that and I said, maybe I can do that. And he was the first one that gave me that responsibility. but he gave me like he already knew that I was able to do it before I actually done it trust so that trust I think it was important for me at the time to think okay I'm gonna feel confident I felt confident in doing those kind of roles because in in the first phase I was a six then I could open then I was doing movements inside and I would feel important when especially when the when when the team had possession.

40:16So I would say it was a little bit because of that. And just as a contrast to that, when things haven't been going well for you here, what do you feel has been the reason for that? If I have to analyse the last couple of seven years, I played five finals and you say, yeah, but it's not the finals that we want. No, we want Premier League, we want Champions League. That's where the club should go. But even when we're talking about probably the most tough and difficult years of Man United, you can still play finals. You can still compete for trophies. And that just defines how big this club is and how good and how fortunate we are to play in this club.

41:00And the most enjoyable things, one of the things that I love the most is the energy. When you go to Old Trafford, you cannot explain it. There's no other place in the world where you go there and you ask me how easy to play at Old Trafford, that's it, it's good but if you want to feel it you need to be there and that energy that's something that you cannot explain and you cannot describe. And you know all through this conversation I've sensed the leadership role that you play at the football club now given the time you've been here as well. New players join the club, what is your role when a new player comes?

41:34I see some of the comments from the players that come here. Your name does pop up quite a lot as who's helped them settle. What I try to do is every day, try to show how you should behave, how you should be in terms of energy, in terms of if I do a very good game, you will not see me the next day shouting and smiling to everybody. You will see me doing the same things. And if we lose and everybody's killing me on social media, you will see me do the same things and speaking to you the same way, trying to be the same person as I am every single day. Balance. Yeah, that balance. What I always say, and for example, I don't think you will mind of me saying this, but I met Cunha this season when he signed for the club.

42:31And what I felt from him is that he came and he felt that the club, they were still too attached to what happened the season before, but him, he was not part of it. So he came with that new energy, new thing of, listen, I don't know what you did last year, obviously you know, but I'm not a part of it. I don't care. This is Man United. That's why I signed. I want to feel excitement. I don't want to feel the energy is low. I don't want to feel the ghosts of the past. I want to... And this is something that... That's why you cannot go sometimes to new players and tell them, oh, this happened last season.

43:12So be careful. Sometimes that new energy, that fresh energy, puts you... It feeds the squad. It feeds the squad. And he was one of the characters that, in these moments, it's good to have, because it's just... It's just sometimes he doesn't care. He's just go and go. goals. And that balance that you have in a squad, it's important for you to have. That's why sometimes our role, my role, or I try to put that role is to, okay, listen, if you're good, you're scoring goals or we have clean sheets, it's perfect. Just stay the same person. Don't go over the top. Like SESCO maybe, like a younger striker.

43:52Ben, I was fortunate to have a very good connection with him straight away. I saw him and I saw a lot of myself when I was 20, 21 years old. Like what? Imagine Ben, he's the guy that he will try to do everything that is in his control outside the pitch to be ready physically, mentally, everything that you can name. Professional. Yeah, in terms of, I call it mechanisms. So imagine if you need to do recovery before training, if you have yoga, if you have meditation, if you have, he likes to do everything. And he's the guy that I need to control this every single day. But that can be too much. Because when I was, when we were talking about before my years of only training and injuries, I thought, I thought it was my fault.

44:42I'm not playing. Oh, it's my fault. So I have to do more. and when you overdo your body pays the bill as I like to say so if you do too much sometimes it can it can be it can overdo and what I tried to say to him is that okay you know what will happen here you will score one goal and they will say you're gonna be the best striker you're gonna be the next one and when that happens I need you to be the same guy the next day Cristiano come to me and said one day listen to you what I'm doing with you now you will do one day with another player. That's why I do it. That's why I like it, because I see that you care.

45:21And it was naturally. With Ben, I had this very good relationship with him. I spent a lot of time. Every day at 9 a.m. we were doing apovatic chamber together. And these little bits, I think, I think it helped him to stay balanced. And you can see, even if he doesn't start games, he comes in and he decides. And that is really hard for a striker. If you score a goal, you expect you're going to play the next game. There's a lot of mental games with these young strikers, especially. And he has that quality of... He can be really balanced. He's a very good kid, which helps a very good human being.

45:57And he wants to learn. He wants to learn. And yeah, with him was funny because he's a very funny guy also. So you're taking credit for the goal against West Ham then, yeah? No, I never take credit for what he does on the pitch. never because I couldn't do what he done. It was an unbelievable finish. What I say to him is that just keep doing your thing. I am sure that you're going to be the striker of Man United that's going to score 25-30 goals a season but it will take for you to be very balanced and you saw what happened with young strikers before where you put so much pressure and so much expectation that is like this.

46:42And if he starts like this, I will be over the moon because it's in a progressive way. It's not like he reaches one year, he scores 20 goals and then he doesn't score. So if he starts building his United career like this, I think everybody will be happy with him and we are already. They're the ones who help get the trophies. You know what I mean? Everyone plays their role, but you need that. I always feel you, that guy who's the gunslinger, scores goals. to get the big trophy. And I always say that the three toughest jobs in the world is Man United manager, Man United keeper, and Man United striker.

47:19And centre-back. No, I'm joking. You mentioned your daily routine, and you go in a chamber with Ben and stuff like that, and you used to go with Cristiano in the sauna and stuff. Talk me through a daily routine for Diogo Dolor, when you wake up to the end. So I try always to be the same. so I know I'm a very like scheduled guy so I don't I know nothing will miss and it's even and then when it's become routine is by the minute so you was early here exactly so I was I knew that probably you would need a little bit 10 minutes to prepare or everything if you need me so I came a little bit that's why I like to prepare myself so I usually I come up 7 30 I like I help my wife to prepare my my daughter or if it's day school or if it's just to to give her breakfast and i spend a little bit more time with her eight o 'clock i leave my house i arrive i do some ice breath before training ice before training ice breath sometimes a little bit of contracts but i like to to start the day with uh with uh with ice bath just to wake up with the body a little bit Ben obviously joins me, starts joining with me and we go for breakfast.

48:35We have 10-15 minutes for breakfast, then we go to the upper barry chamber, minimum 45 minutes. 45 minutes, then we do a little bit of preparation for training, whether it's massage or stretching or some bit of treatment. If we have a meeting, it's usually after that. and after the meeting straight to the gym prepare the training what time is training training usually now we train usually around 11 we're outside well so you're in the training ground from half at half eight yeah and we arrive eight we go to the pitch at 11 if we have the longest session would be an hour so by 12 we're in the dressing room then post training sometimes you have upper bodies, we have legwork, it depends on the day.

49:27Mandatory, we gather two or three players, we go to sauna, sauna and ice wet. Who's that with you? Who's that normally with you? Ben? Yeah, usually Ben takes a little bit longer because he goes to treatment after, he likes to do a little bit more stuff. But usually it's always, you know, me, Cass, Licha, Ugarte is there. The Dutch guys they like to do also, Nus, Mata, Josh. And then you see a little bit younger guys they just like the Jacuzzi. See Kobi just likes Jacuzzi. Aiden just likes Jacuzzi with the phone, obviously. And then go home, have lunch at home. If it's a little bit later I have lunch in training ground but now by by two o 'clock i'm at home and then afternoon if i have to do a little bit more in the gym i'll do it not every day or a bit of treatment not every day but it depends on the schedule but the afternoon i always try to be for the family and to spend time with my daughter but those five six hours is all dedicated and you know what it's great for the young players to hear this there's one hour in your day that's that is actually mandatory that is actually you have to be there and you have to work yeah with the team yeah that the manager puts in the schedule yeah the rest of those five or six hours it's on responsibility on you it's that you put in yeah wow but what i what i what i always say is that this is what works for me i mean i don't like to say this is the the best way to do it no because you have players that if you ask him to go to the gym every day, they will not be the best version of themselves.

51:07Give us your five-a-side team of the best players that you've played with. Oh, good question. No goalkeeper, by the way. No goalkeeper. They're irrelevant. Sorry, goalkeepers. So, I would say on the back line, Pep. Crazy guy, huh? You know what I've realised? I was with him at the FIFA World Cup draw. he is a soft mild-mannered guy outside off the pitch outside on the most the most lovely guy you can meet and the way he speaks here in the table he's so humble you know but then he goes in he would change even in training was no it was it was unbelievable to play with him so pep so i'd say pep i would say um on the side i'm gonna put i'm gonna put bruno and pogba in the middle oh talk to me about pogba how good is this it was i know that look about you know you know too too much He was one of those that, you know, when you talk about, okay, very good players, but then there's the, what I call the tier one.

52:24That's the special. Yeah, he was, he was really good, really good. And it was so strange because he was so tall, big feet, you know, when having that, you know, sometimes the most quality players, they have small feet, they're tiny. He was everything. He was tall, strong. He could do, he could do everything. and it was really good to play with him. And then he was very funny, you know. So the whole package. So I'd say Bruno Pogba. And Bruno, would you say Bruno right now is the best player in the Premier League? He's definitely one of the best players in the league. That's factual. It's not like, OK, you can give your opinion, you might like it or not, but it's factual.

53:06If you don't see it, it's because you just don't want it. So Pep, Bruno, Pogba. Pogba and then Chris. And I'm going to put one more up front. I'm going to say Martial. Martial. I did not expect that. I know he's got huge talent, but why Martial? I'm going to say it because I'm going to combine what obviously could do in games, but in training. And I played a lot against him. So it was really, really tough to play. And he was one of those that... If he had obviously a bit more consistent, sometimes he would disconnect a little bit from everything. But if he was... He's one of those that you say, if he wanted, he could be the best player in the world.

53:59Is it? Easily, yeah. Wow. Do you know what Michael Carrick said to me when he first signed, that Martial can win the Ballon d 'Or? Yeah. And as soon as I came, I would believe that. I would believe that. Wow. In training, you could do things that you'd say you had to stop training. You know those moments where you say, you know, you want to blow the whistle and say, okay, let's win tight. And I had a few. I remember Juan Mata also had those things of quality and... Rashford? What about more than Rashford? Yeah, Rashford also. Rashford could be anything that he wants also. But I put Anthony and I don't put Rashi because I had a face.

54:45Like if I had to, in training, the top, Anthony was a little bit different. And he could do everything. Yeah, both ways. Right, so your team is just to go over it. Pep, Pogba, Bruno, Cristiano, Martial. It's not a bad team. Good team, good team. Skills everywhere, isn't it? Yeah. Skills everywhere. Just front. And a crazy man in the back. And they just go forward. Listen, Jago, great to speak to you, man. We really appreciate your time. Good luck for the rest of the season, man. Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you.

55:1933 days, 33 episodes, no off switch. From the goals and the glory to the politics and the problems of the World Cup, if you want soccer analysis from a podcast that's been over-analyzing the game for more than 20 years, then this is it. Join me, Max Rushton, and our expert team of soccer journalists every day of the tournament. Can England end 60 years of hurt? Or will this be another year of falling just short? Probably. World Cup Daily. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch full episodes on YouTube.