'I'm a Premier League star who played for Ruben Amorim - he can be better than Jose Mourinho'
Manchester United's new manager Ruben Amorim has been backed to make a huge impact in the Premier League by Southampton player who played for him at Sporting Lisbon
by Alan Smith · The MirrorRuben Amorim has been backed to leave a bigger impact on the Premier League than Jose Mourinho by Southampton ’s Matheus Fernandes.
The 20-year-old central midfielder played for Amorim at Sporting Lisbon before moving to the south coast in August.
And he believes the incoming Manchester United boss can be even more influential than compatriot Jose Mourinho, who won three titles during his time at Chelsea before finishing second while at Old Trafford.
"I've said before to Juan Larios, I think Ruben can be better than Mourinho in my opinion. He's a very good coach. He knows the way of football," Fernandes told local media.
"He was a footballer so he knows how players feel. Yes, in England it is different. In the Portuguese league, it's easier for Sporting. I think he can be good.”
Fernandes then went on to add that Amorim’s approach is also not that different from struggling Saints boss Russell Martin. "The way of Ruben and Russell is similar, they like to play football with the ball so it was easy for me to come to Southampton and play."
Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in interim charge of United for Thursday night’s Europa League clash against PAOK at Old Trafford and the home Premier League fixture versus Leicester City on Sunday.
Amorim is set to begin work on Monday after taking charge of Sporting for the final time away to Braga this weekend. He signed off at home with a memorable 4-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
"It was written on the wall that this night had to be like this. It was very special and we deserved it,” he said after hammering Pep Guardiola ’s side.
"I was playing with words when I mentioned Sir Alex Ferguson and being compared to him. But I'm not going to read anything for the first six months in Manchester.
"I thank everyone for this victory. I'm going to keep these memories forever and it was a beautiful moment. This was the way to say farewell in this stadium."
Amorim’s first game in charge will be a trip to Ipswich Town and he will face Guardiola for the first time in a Manchester derby next month.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.