Ruben Amorim praises Manchester United unsung hero 'who just needed 10 minutes' to shine in Athletic Club win

Ruben Amorim piled the praise on his Manchester United substitutes after they inspired a comeback victory over Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-final second leg. Mikel Jauregizar gave the visitors a deserved lead at Old Trafford but the Basque club failed to capitalise on their dominance as United staged an impressive second-half performance.

Mason Mount drew the second leg level with a stunning effort from the edge of the box, before Casemiro headed in a second to put his side ahead on the night. Rasmus Hojlund poked in a third to seal the victory and Mount grabbed a spectacular brace with an effort from close to the halfway line.

Mount and fellow substitute Amad Diallo drew most of the praise for their contribution from the bench, though Amorim was also full of praise for Kobbie Mainoo, who helped United control the midfield battle in the closing stages of the match.

Mainoo the unsung hero

Speaking after the 4-1 victory over Athletic Club on Thursday night, Ruben Amorim made sure to praise the Manchester United substitutes for their impact. Most of the praise was for Mason Mount, though the United head coach also drew attention to the role Kobbie Mainoo played from the bench.

"I'm so happy for him. He is such a player. He works really hard, he has quality," Amorim told TNT Sports. "I really like Kobbie Mainoo, just 10 minutes but everything he did was really good and sometimes you're on the bench and can change the game.

“When you see that kind of guy like Mason working hard every day, eating well, having ice baths, when you have this kind of player you just want to help him. He is perfect for this position as he can be a midfielder, but also runs like a winger so I'm really happy for him.

"When you have a full squad you can think about the game. Sometimes we're surviving with people in different positions, but with more options you can change the game and push forwards and these things can help you win games."