Diogo Dalot was given his first start by coach Fernando Santos and showed the Portugal coach why he should be considered for the rest of the games going forward.
Portugal, unfortunately, lost 2-1 to South Korea who progressed to the next round ahead of Uruguay and Ghana. Chief among the issues was Cristiano Ronaldo's incredibly bad shift in front of goal punctuated with a diving header that completely missed the target despite the forward being given time and space to work his shot out.
But despite the scoreline, Dalot received plenty of plaudits. Throughout the tournament so far, Manchester United fans and Portugal fans alike have asked why the right-back has not started more games.
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For Portugal's opener, Dalot beautifully took down a long ball forward and controlled it before beating his man. He then drove into the box dangerously before pulling it back to meet the run of Ricardo Horta who finished well.
Though a lot of credit must go to Dalot for finally realising the potential that Jose Mourinho saw all those years ago when he signed them for United, some must also go to Erik ten Hag for continuing to give him the platform to prove himself.
In fact, Ten Hag must trust Dalot implicitly, as his now-understudy Aaron Wan-Bissaka has only played four minutes during the Dutchman's reign and the Manchester Evening News understands that United will entertain offers for the player in January.
Dalot still can improve, but he has come on leaps and bounds this season at both ends of the pitch and if his upwards trajectory continues there is no doubt that he will be an asset for club and country for years to come.
Fans will be hoping that he extends his contract in the near future as these sorts of performances will likely draw the attention of Europe's top clubs. United have the option to extend Dalot's contract for a further year which will see his current deal run till the end of the 2023/24 season.
You can vote for Diogo Dalot for the United Fans' Footballer of the Year 2022 award - cast your vote below or by clicking here.
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