Amad did not want this season to end and he ensured it didn’t when he curled home a crucial opening strike for Sunderland at Preston North End on Monday afternoon.
His goal started the rampage that led to a 3-0 Black Cats win which bought them a place in the Championship play-offs. The strike itself was sublime, perhaps the best of his 13 goals this term.
Sunderland needed the win and Amad took it upon himself to drag his side to where they wanted to be. In fact, this whole campaign he has shone when his team needed him most.
ALSO READ: United have growing doubts over David de Gea's No.1 role
The youngster had a stuttering time at Rangers last season. He was loaned to the Scottish club for the final six months of the 2021/22 season and found out what it takes to be a first-team regular. The 20-year-old struggled for game time at Ibrox and there were rumours an early return to Manchester United was being considered.
The striker played no part in the club’s run to the Europa League final but netted twice in the final three league games and that’s where his revamp started. He began the Scottish Cup final and ended up lifting the trophy at the end of the game.
It was Amad’s first moment of true triumph since netting for United’s senior team in the Europa League clash with AC Milan just two months after signing for United in January 2021.
Erik ten Hag took Amad on the club’s pre-season summer tour and he officially featured four times from the bench totalling 159 minutes, not including his run-out and goal in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wrexham.
It was deemed that a loan spell to Sunderland was appropriate and Tony Mowbray was delighted. He has endlessly praised the loanee and implored United against recalling him in January amid his terrific form.
The remarkable growth in his game is something Ten Hag has noted and MEN Sport understands he is open to including him in his plans next season. In truth, United might need him.
The Reds are expected to land a marquee centre-forward this summer with the club opting not to extend the stay of Wout Weghorst beyond his loan spell while Anthony Martial could also leave.
United will need a secondary or even third-choice striker who has the mental resolve to change a game, something they have missed in recent weeks. The goal burden on Marcus Rashford has meant when he fires a blank, the team finds it hard to win a match.
Amad has shown he has that moment of magic he can pull out of the bag when needed, and his goal at Preston exemplified that. Of course, the youngster is not the finished package and the Premier League is a step up from the Championship - Amad will know this himself having experienced both.
Ten Hag has frequently called for characters this season, and for players to shoulder responsibility especially when their back is up against the wall. For Amad to do just that for Sunderland on Monday in such a crunch tie says a lot about his own character. Ten Hag won't be fully aware of the Ivory Coast international's character having spent so little time with him at United, but he'll know a lot more about him now.
United paid an initial £37m for Amad two years ago - at some point they will have to allow him to prove his worth.
READ MORE:
