Diogo Dalot has been at Manchester United for eight years, and in that time, he has had seven different managers. But one left him really sad when they departed.
Currently a leader within the Manchester United first-team, Diogo Dalot has seen it all over the past eight years, both good and bad.
Dalot is a key figure within Michael Carrick’s squad, but he has actually been among the first names on the teamsheet for the past three managers.
But he has now revealed the one manager he was really sad to see go.
What is your verdict on Diogo Dalot’s 2025/26 season?
Diogo Dalot explains how he felt after Jose Mourinho was sacked
Dalot has always spoken positively about Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag, while he is also a big supporter of Carrick.
But for Dalot, Jose Mourinho has a special place, as he was the one who gave him his move to Old Trafford.
Mourinho signed Dalot in 2018, but months later, he was gone. Writing a well-written story for The Players’ Tribune, Dalot has now explained his sadness after Mourinho was sacked.
He first detailed the euphoria that he felt when the move to United became a reality, but under Mourinho, it didn’t last long.
“Three months later [after joining United], in December 2018, Mourinho was sacked. I was really sad, because he believed so deeply in me, and we already had an emotional attachment”, Dalot explained.
“Soon, we had a new manager. Next summer, we had a new right-back.
“The following season, I think I played 10 games in all competitions.”
This is in relation to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coming in, who didn’t give Dalot much of a chance before signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50m.
Concerningly for United, Mourinho wants Dalot at Real Madrid, although we understand that he is committed to United. But if anyone is able to sway Dalot, you would assume it would be one of Portugal’s all-time greats, in Jose Mourinho.
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What Mourinho said to Dalot before he signed him at Manchester United
Dalot quite rightly has a very special place for Mourinho, and in the article he wrote, he explained how Mourinho convinced him to move to United.
“He is saying everything I want to hear”, Dalot explained the phone call he had from the United boss at the time. “I’m talented. I’m strong…”
“‘I just needed one test,’ he says. He was analysing me when Porto played Liverpool at Anfield a few weeks earlier, because I was up against Sadio Mane.
“You stopped the best winger in the world. Now you come play for me.”
This performance was huge at the time, and he has since more than lived up to his potential, quite easily being one of the finest right-backs in the league for at least the past three or four years.
The good thing for Dalot is that, regardless of the manager these days, he is favoured, and for Carrick, that is no different.
From the outside looking in, Dalot appears to be a player coaches love. This is down partly to his personality, character, professionalism, and standards, alongside everything he offers on the pitch.
Mourinho’s sacking led to Dalot moving to AC Milan on a loan 18 months later, which was the real birth of the defender. He returned a better footballer with more experience, and it wasn’t long after this that he really kicked on.
Now, Dalot is in his prime years, and next season should be his best yet as United target a real title challenge.
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