Mourinho advice and 'new' Ferguson joke - What Ruben Amorim said about Manchester United ahead of Man City

Ruben Amorim spoke to the press on Monday afternoon ahead of Sporting's clash with Man City in the Champions League.

Manchester United have already confirmed the appointment of Amorim as their new head-coach, with the 39-year-old set to begin his role at the club on Monday 11 November, meaning he has two further matches in charge of Sporting.

One of those matches is against Man City on Tuesday night, the team he will face on a more regular basis during his time at Old Trafford. Speaking ahead of the match, Amorim fielded questions on the game as well as his own imminent move to Manchester.

Here is everything he said about United:

Those 'talks' with West Ham United

"Let's get back to the same subject. I went to England, I didn't go to negotiate, I went to meet the owner, I had made my decision. I stayed because I spoke to the president and he convinced me to stay for another year. If you think I already wanted to leave last year, there's nothing I can do about it. I accepted this invitation and I've already explained why. Now it's time to think about tomorrow's game, then we'll have time to talk about it."

Will every TV in Manchester be tuned into this game tomorrow?

"Of course, I'm sure of that, but my focus is on Sporting. Will it be a success or a 'failure'? But only as Sporting's coach, but I know they will be paying attention to every detail of the game and especially the result."

Are you more anxious tomorrow than you were on the first day?

"I'm stressed about the game. We had a plan, then City played Bournemouth and everything changed. I have a clear conscience, I'm not thinking about saying goodbye, that will be in Braga. It will be a special moment."

What ideas did you take from Guardiola? How will you adapt to speaking English?

"My communication at the beginning will be simpler because it is in English. I think I will have to spend three months... they say that is enough. The players will not be offended if I say that they are more basic, I give training sessions here in English. It will be a different adaptation, but my life will be the same, there is a way of playing, an idea, communication will be more basic. Regarding Guardiola, I took a lot from him, from De Zerbi, from Jorge Jesus... I get inspiration from everywhere, I look at the best coaches in the world, and even others, but there are always ideas that we can use."

Are Sporting prepared for his departure?

"Yes. The captain said they didn't need the coach (laughs). They are very mature, they understand the game well. It will be a change, but the team is prepared and has the maturity to move forward."

There are people in Manchester who will see tomorrow's game as a City vs United game. How do you feel about that?

"They are different contexts, I'm not thinking about that. Tomorrow I will be Sporting's coach and only Sporting's, from the 11th onwards I will be United's coach. I know they will draw conclusions from this result, but I don't care much, I'm Sporting's coach. I understand the interest, but for me it's just another game against a team from the best league in the world."

Had you previously considered a move to Manchester?

"It crosses my mind, that's where I want to continue my career, I've decided on the club I want, there's no room for indecision."

If you win tomorrow you could be a hero in Manchester, are you aware of that?

"The focus is on winning the game for Sporting, after that, the inferences that people will draw from this game are not important to me because they could be misleading. If the result is negative, expectations will drop; if we win they will think that the new Alex Ferguson has arrived! What interests me is to win, a good farewell in Alvalade, win in Braga and start a new adventure in Manchester. What I want is to leave the fans and my players happy for what is to come in the new season."

Have you spoken to Mourinho since you took the job at United?

"I haven't spoken to José Mourinho yet, he's full of games and so have I. The impact he had on my career was the way he treated me, he showed me that you can win everything and be a different person than you think. A special coach, who opened doors for us. He's remarkable as Portuguese people, I'll have time to speak to him, he's very experienced. In terms of my experience at Manchester, it was the only club where I did an internship, but I never said 'I want to come back as a coach'. But we'll see what happens."

How will winning tomorrow be good for future meetings with Man. City?

"We learn a lot from the games, it's one thing to watch them on TV, another to play against them. When I go to Manchester United we'll have time to talk about it, but I don't know what I'll find when I'm there. But it will help in preparing for the game against them."