Manchester United have had one player consistently solid during a season of turbulence, he’s proved Cristiano Ronaldo correct.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t had the second season he would’ve dreamt of after an encouraging maiden campaign. This has much to do with his Manchester United side suffering an endless list of injuries.
Long-term absences to the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Luke Shaw along with inconsistent fitness from the likes of Harry Maguire, Rasmus Hojlund and Raphael Varane.
One man who has been a consistent performer, returning to his absolute best and possibly the best he’s ever been is Diogo Dalot.
Dalot at just 24 looks to be realising his potential which both Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo saw in him.
During his interview slating United, Ronaldo named Dalot as one of the only players he was impressed by at the club.
“I only can say what I see from my eyes. In Manchester United, I can mention Dalot. An example he is young and very professional. I have no doubt he will have longevity in football. He’s young, smart, intelligent and he’s very professional,” the Portuguese icon explained.
- READ MORE: Who is Cristiano Ronaldo? Meet one of football’s most iconic names and undisputed Man Utd legend
Diogo Dalot is proving Cristiano Ronaldo right this season
United right-back, Dalot, has really kicked on this season, returning to his early 2022/23 form prior to the World Cup.
But this season he’s proven it to be more than a flash in the pan and instead seems to have established himself ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and as one of the league’s best full-backs.
Dalot has played a variety of roles for United this season which showcases what a smart footballer he is – proving Ronaldo’s words correct. To go from right-back, to left-back and then playing both inverted and traditional roles, he has done it all this season to an impressive level.
Wherever he has been needed this season he has done a job, and has also scored a couple of excellent goals and provided some assists too (2 G, 3 A).
Even in defeat against Manchester City last week he was once again probably one of the only players who could hold their heads high as he won nine duels and made 10 defensive actions as per FotMob.
Diogo Dalot 2023/24 stats
In the Premier League this season, Dalot has scored an average game rating of 7.23 as per FotMob.
In terms of his attacking play, Dalot ranks in the 78th percentile for expected assists(1.77), which has been accumulated through creating 24 chances for his teammates.
Dalot has completed 841 passes while having a long-ball accuracy of 51.7 per cent (76th percentile), and a cross accuracy of 32.3 per cent (90th percentile).
Defensively, Dalot has improved this season to the point he is a complete full-back now. He has won 34 tackles (92nd percentile) this season and won 113 duels (89th percentile).
Additionally, he’s made 142 recoveries(95th percentile) and 27 interceptions (90th percentile) and won possession in the final third eight times.
With all this in mind, he absolutely deserves to be one of the front-runners this season to win the coveted Player of the Season award.
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