‘I scored for Sunderland too’ - Amad
SCORED PAST BITTER RIVALS
EX-SUNDERLAND loanee Amad Diallo will have delighted Black Cats’ fans on Wednesday night.
Not only did he score for Manchester United against bitter North East rivals Newcastle United in a 3-2 Premier League win, he dedicated the goal to Sunderland too.
Diallo, 21, was a hero at the Stadium of Light in the 2022/23 season, scoring 14 goals in 39 Championship outings while helping fire the club to a sixthplaced play-off spot.
Sunderland certainly missed his goals last season as he remained at Old Trafford and has been in and out of Eric ten Hag’s team.
His goal for United against Newcastle was his first for the club.
Diallo has now played in United’s last seven games after a season which has seen him sidelined with various injury niggles, and he has started the last two.
Not only did he score United’s second goal, he also had the most shots, the most shots on target, most touches inside the opposition box, and completed the most take-ons.
Unexpectedly, Diallo made a Sunderland-related comment after the game when speaking to the BBC.
He said: “I scored for Sunderland too.” Diallo certainly holds the Black Cats in high regard having made such an impact at the club.
United are still in with a chance of a European spot and Diallo might even be playing in Europe next season.
His influential stint at Sunderland has obviously set Diallo up for his current spell and everyone can see that sending your players to the Stadium of Light, as United did with Diallo, can really help a player’s development.
It’s something Sunderland might be able to capitalise on ahead of their next Championship campaign.
A lot depends on who becomes head coach and whether they will have a say in who is recruited.
Diallo will always have a place in Sunderland supporters’ hearts.
He joined in August 2022, scored his first goal for Sunderland in October that year in a 4-2 win against Burnley in the Championship, then added three goals in five games in
December.
He finished that season with 14 goals and four assists across all competitions and lit up Sunderland’s season before they bowed out in the play-offs.