Dalot: I've experienced everything at Manchester United, there's no better place than here

Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot has reflected on his more than eight-year career with the Red Devils in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, describing playing for Manchester United as an extreme experience: when everything is going well, it's the best place in the world, but when things go badly, it can become your worst nightmare.

Speaking at Carrington training ground, Dalot discussed a milestone many had not anticipated – his upcoming 250th appearance for Manchester United. "I hope so," he said with a smile, not wanting to take for granted Erik ten Hag's selection plans. This caution is well-founded. Dalot's journey at Manchester United has not been smooth. His tenure is second only to Luke Shaw's among current players, and having occasionally captained the team in recent years, few are better placed to comment on Manchester United today.

He has witnessed a lot: five permanent managers, multiple interim managers, two trophies, and the arrival of INEOS. But he doesn't want to leave. Commentators will talk at length, and social media is bound to be filled with sharp criticism. Another big game, another crucial moment after the team's slow start to the season. How does one cope with modern Manchester United life?

"I mean, it's not easy," Dalot confessed. "I'm not going to lie to you. I could pretend and say, 'No, it's easy. This is the best place in the world.' When things are going well, it is. But once things go wrong, this can be your worst nightmare. So, how do you deal with nightmares? How do you deal with setbacks? First of all, you have to be comfortable with yourself and what you do every day."

"This is one of the things I've always tried to do, even when I was struggling. Because I think it's almost impossible to come to this club and not go through that phase once or twice. Then you feel like the whole world is against you. And it is in these moments that you truly appreciate how good this club is. Because if it wasn't good enough, strong enough, you wouldn't feel that way at all."

"If you're driven by energy like I am, driven by passion like I am, then I don't think there's a better place than here. It's through moments like these that I find that energy. Walking onto the pitch, feeling the crowd's energy, giving my all. I live for this. For me, the biggest challenge is understanding why I want to be here so long. Because I want to be part of the team that gets the club back to the top."

That's Dalot: a man who faces all challenges head-on. He feels there's no other way, but he says this not from self-pity, but from deep reflection on life. He admits that every season he feels he must prove again that he deserves his place at Manchester United. "At some point," he said, "you hope things will get easier – it's human nature. But at the same time, if I find things are going too smoothly, I start to worry."

In 2018, Dalot joined Manchester United from Porto at just 19 years old, with then-manager José Mourinho personally pushing for the transfer. However, Mourinho was sacked that December, leaving Dalot's future uncertain. After being loaned to AC Milan for the 2021-22 season, many did not expect him to return, but he not only came back but also took the starting spot from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. By the end of the 2023-24 season, Dalot was named Players' Player of the Year.

His career trajectory has been remarkable. Manchester United is often criticized for poor recruitment in the full-back position, and occasionally this criticism has been directed at Dalot himself. Under Rúben Amorim, the team doesn't even use a conventional full-back system. Yet over the years, Luke Shaw and Dalot, two seasoned internationals, have been relied upon by manager after manager in the most important matches. Despite constant pressure and criticism, Dalot understood what Manchester United meant early on, and he has never wanted to leave.

"Why would I want to go anywhere else? That's what keeps driving me, gives me the energy to fight and persevere no matter the circumstances, because, to be honest, I've experienced everything at this club. I've had days when I couldn't even make the bench, sitting in the stands, even feeling ashamed to go to the stadium because I wasn't selected."

"Similarly, I've had moments where I started every game. And because I've been in that position, I know how every teammate feels – whether it's not playing at all, or playing every minute; whether it's feeling incredibly confident, or feeling like the worst player in the world. At the same time, this gives me peace of mind because I've already been through it, so I can face the same situation again with equanimity."

Although he looks like a typical child prodigy, Dalot says he was never the standout star of Porto's academy. He comes from a middle-class family in Braga, north of Porto. His father, António, is a lawyer with his own firm and a loyal Porto supporter who lived in fear that his son would be unfairly cut from the academy. Dalot's mother, Anabela, was a geography teacher. One of his uncles, Joaquim, is a judge. His sister, Mariana, is a professional singer-songwriter, and at one point, the family even considered having Diogo pursue music instead.

"His piano teacher called my mother and said, 'Diogo could have been a good pianist, but this path is not for him. The first thing he asked when he came to class was if I had watched the game, and all he talked about was football.'"

He laughs as he recounts this, also recalling his father's unwavering commitment to his career – traveling throughout Europe to watch his Porto youth team play. Dalot deeply appreciates this now. "He was the only parent who came to support us. He made sure he was there every single time. At the time, you didn't appreciate it. But now that I'm a father, I understand. The best gift he could give me is that he was never absent throughout my entire career."

Indeed, on the day of our interview, António was traveling to Manchester to watch the Manchester derby. His son's fundamental belief is: the minimum expectation of him is to show up every day and be prepared. That way, at least there's a chance of success. But Dalot's thinking goes far beyond the physical aspects of the game.

I started our conversation by pointing out that Manchester United had experienced difficult periods before – though not quite like now, with 13 years since their last Premier League title, the pressure is immense. The 1980s were also difficult, with the team struggling far from their last league title in 1967. I suggested that despite this, modern Manchester United faces its toughest period. After all, football increasingly occupies a central place in endless online discussions, and no one can simply step away from it. This must sometimes feel overwhelming.

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