Joshua Zirkzee gesture towards Amad missed by cameras speaks volumes about Man Utd

Amad again proved why he is Manchester United’s go to man with a late hat-trick to see off Southampton as Joshua Zirkzee underline his appreciation for the young forward

Joshua Zirkzee bowed to Amad after the Manchester United youngster saved the team from an embarrassing defeat by Southampton.

The struggling Saints, who have only won once all season and sit bottom of the Premier League, took the lead in the first-half and with 10 minutes remaining were still in front. Amad then took it upon himself to change the course of the match, scoring three times in 12 minutes to seal a stunning 3-1 win.

His hat-trick ensured United took all three points, with his team-mates acknowledging the Ivorian’s brilliance as he morphs into the team’s talisman.

Amad has continued to blossom and, as the teams walked back to the centre circle to restart the game after the United No 16 had struck, Zirkzee grabbed his attention and bowed in his direction to underline his admiration.

Amad has now scored nine times in all competitions, making him the team’s leading scorer so far in what is a breakout campaign for the former Atalanta man at Old Trafford. He was also crucial in securing one of Ruben Amorim’s statement wins at Manchester City last month.

The manager was full of praise for his young star, but is keen to keep his feet on the ground as he was quick to part his Thursday night exploits and begin focusing on the next task.

He said: “The important thing is to win, and he helped us to win. Then he’s doing a very good season. So, that’s it. I already spoke about this, we have to be careful with the young kids. Was a really good job today. He has a lot to improve, but this game is in the past.

“We need to prepare the future. In the game, in football, the life is like this. So, congratulations to him, to all the team, enjoy tonight, is a very good moment and he needs to appreciate this moment, but, tomorrow, he’s going to recover and we have to prepare for the next game.”

The team’s skipper Bruno Fernandes has been among those to sing Amad’s praises, adamant that there is still huge improvement in the forward. He told the BBC last month: “He’s been doing great things and there’s a lot more to come. He’s always active, always alive and this is why he gets the penalty and his goal. He’s been brilliant but I shouldn’t say much as we need to keep him going as we need him at this level. Like this he is unstoppable.”

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