Amad Diallo’s Man United career finally looks ready to take off, writes CHRIS WHEELER: Injury struck at the worst time, but the Ivorian has been rewarded for staying put in January as he enters Old Trafford folklore

After Amad Diallo went down in Old Trafford folklore with his incredible extra-time winner against Liverpool, it perhaps wasn’t surprising the young Ivorian forgot he had already been booked. Off came Amad’s shirt in celebration and off he went, dismissed by referee John Brooks for a second yellow card.

Fortunately, United’s 10 men held on for the remaining seconds to clinch a famous 4-3 win over their old rivals on Sunday and a place in next month’s FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

‘It was one of the best games for Manchester United and I scored a last-minute goal against Liverpool. It was an unbelievable moment for me,’ said Amad.

‘I believe in myself, and I want to thank the fans and my family for supporting me every day. It is very special for me because it was my dream to play for United.

‘The manager believes in me. He gives me a lot of confidence and I want to continue like this. I am on the bench but every time I am ready to come in and fight for the team. I wait for my chance and, for me, every game is like a Champions League final.

Amad was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration

The Ivorian will hope his winning goal can act as a launchpad for his Manchester United career

‘It was the perfect moment. I forgot the first yellow! But it was important we won, so I am very happy.’

It might not be the only thing Amad wants to forget about a season that promised so much after he returned from a successful loan spell at Sunderland last summer.

Indeed, his Old Trafford career has not yet lived up to expectation since United agreed a fee of £19million, potentially rising to £37m, with Atalanta for the youngster in January 2021.

The transfer was overshadowed by allegations that he used fake documents and bogus parents to move to Europe from Ivory Coast. Diallo, who dropped the surname Traore on his 18th birthday, was fined £42,000 by the FIGC, Italian football’s governing body.

The youngster scored his first goal for United in a Europa League tie against AC Milan, but it took three years for his second to arrive in Sunday’s epic cup win over Liverpool.

Amad spent the second half of the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Rangers and last season at Sunderland. The 21-year-old returned from Wearside last summer with the PFA Championship fans’ player of the year award after contributing 14 goals and four assists to Sunderland’s season which ended with defeat in the play-off semi-final against Luton Town.

‘I was at Sunderland last season and I came here to wait for my chance,’ Amad added on Sunday.

‘It was important for me to go on loan to get more confidence and experience, so now I am at Manchester United, I am very happy to stay here.’

His Man United career has yet to live up to expectations since joining the club in January 2021

Amad joined from Atalanta for an initial free of £19million, potentially rising to £37m

His first Man United goal came in the Europa League against AC Milan in March 2021

Amad starred at Sunderland winning the PFA Championship fans’ player of the year award

However, his hopes of making an impact at United this season suffered a setback on the club’s summer tour of the US when he sustained a serious injury to his left knee against Arsenal in New Jersey.

It meant he missed the opportunity to stake his claim for a place on the right wing in a year in which Mason Greenwood left the club on loan for Getafe, Jadon Sancho was frozen out following a disagreement with manager Erik ten Hag and United put Antony on leave to contest off-the-field allegations.

Nothing was heard from Amad again until September when he posted a photo of his knee on social media with the caption ‘small steps’ that revealed a large scar and swelling as he began rehab at Carrington.

He resumed light training in October and rejoined the rest of his teammates in December, returning to United’s match-day squad in the last game of the year at Nottingham Forest.

Amad came off the bench in a defeat at the City Ground and wasn’t seen again for two more months when he came on as a substitute in another defeat at home to Fulham.

In between, he was overlooked by Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil and overtaken by Omari Forson at United amid speculation Ten Hag rated the England Under-20 winger more highly. Even so, he insisted on staying at Old Trafford in the January transfer window instead of going out on loan for a third time.

Amad was brought on in the FA Cup win over Forest but frustration appeared to get the better of him after he was left on the bench for the Manchester derby and victory over Everton. 

Amad suffered a setback in pre-season after suffering a knee injury in a friendly with Arsenal

His minutes have remained limited but he came off the bench in an FA Cup win over Forest

Amad’s match winning strike against Liverpool has renewed hopes for his Man United career

He deleted all reference to United from his social media accounts, leaving just a photo of himself playing for Sunderland and a message in French that read ‘this will all end’. The devout Muslim later said he shut down his social media accounts because of Ramadan.

All that was forgotten on Sunday, though, when Amad nicked the ball away from Harvey Elliott on the edge of United’s penalty box deep into extra-time and set off towards the Liverpool goal in support of Alejandro Garnacho.

The young Argentina international played the ball back to him and Amad’s burst of acceleration past Conor Bradley gave him just enough space to squeeze a shot inside the far post. Cue bedlam inside Old Trafford.

The red card means he will be banned for the next game against Brentford, but the hope now is that Amad can become the player that he – and United – always hoped he would be.