Manchester United starlet Amad has been putting in extra work in the gym as he bids to muscle in on a first-team spot at Old Trafford next season.
The highly-rated winger, 20, joined the Red Devils in a £37million deal from Atalanta back in 2021 but has been unable to stake a claim for regular first-team football since his big money switch.
Amad has, however, flourished on loan at Sunderland in the Championship this term, where he has chalked up nine goals and two assists for Tony Mowbray's side. And he's revealed that he's been working out in his spare time as he bids to make an impression on Erik ten Hag ahead of next season.
In an interview with Sunderland's club media during the international break, Amad said: “When I arrived at Manchester United, I was a bit thin. But, yes, now I do lots in the gym, even when I’m at home and I haven’t much to do. I think that it is needed for playing here in England because you need to do everything you can to be able to react to playing in this league.
“We’ve faced many teams in the Championship that had very physical players but I think the game doesn’t always depend on the physicality because I think, if you have the technical ability and if you have the ability to play fast, your physicality is less important.
“But yes, like I said before, it is important to have muscles to play against defenders. However, if you are intelligent players that can make the difference, then it’s needed less.”
Amad's desire to improve by putting in extra work during his free time comes just months after his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo criticised the desire and work ethic of younger players.
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Speaking during his controversial interview with Piers Morgan back in November, Ronaldo questioned the "hunger" of the current generation and claimed that they "don't care" enough to improve.
He said: “I don't mean that they don't respect the more experienced players or the older players, but they live in a different era. I can see my kid [who is] 12 years old. The mentality is not the same, they are not suffering.
“Their hunger [is different]. I think they have things more easily, everything's easy, they don't suffer - and don't care.
“I don't mean only a few in Manchester United, but all the teams, in all leagues in the world, the youngsters are not the same of my generation. But we cannot blame them, because it's part of the life and the new generation, the new technologies that distract them. They are not the same ... they listen to one thing and in two minutes they have already forgotten and do whatever thing they think it's better.”
