Amorim: Two months at Man Utd and I feel 50, not 40!

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has joked that his two months in charge of the club have aged him 10 years, saying he feels 50 years old rather than 40, which he turns on Monday.

United handed the Portuguese an early birthday present by earning a 1-0 win at Fulham, thanks to a deflected shot from defender Lisandro Martinez, with Amorim turning down the players request to have Monday off.

"It's not 40...I'm 50! After two months at Manchester United, it's 50," joked Amorim on BBC Match of the Day 2. "It's a privilege to spend my 40th birthday here.

"They asked for the day off tomorrow. I didn't give it, so we are training because it's my birthday and my gift is to work with the guys who didn't play. It will be fantastic because we won. Then I will have dinner with my kids."

It was a first defeat at Craven Cottage for Fulham since 23 November and Amorim admitted he owed a great deal of gratitude to 21-year-old Toby Collyer, who made a superb goalline clearance to deny the hosts a late equaliser.

"He did it in practice one time. Toby saved our team today," said Amorim.

Matchwinner Martinez was also full of praise for his team-mate, hailing Collyer's humble attitude.

"I think I was lucky, but I'm really happy with the way we won the game. It doesn't matter who scored. The most important ios three points, how we fight, how we play," Martinez said on TNT Sports. "And this guy [Collyer]. This guy is a great example for the young generation. He's working so hard and he's so humble. he deserves it all.

"It means a lot. Not only for the fans but also for us. We suffer a lot and it's really tough and hard when you lose in this club. The pressure, we know is really hard. We know how difficult it is. But we are here and have to show it every game like today. We have to be really humble after winning."

Also speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Collyer was delighted to earn those compliments from the Argentinian.

"It [those words from Martinez] are unbelievable. That has come for a World Cup winner, can't it be anyone better really," said Collyer. "It's a tough environment, it makes you better with your character. I'm just looking to help the team as much as I can.

"I remember clearing it and thinking it went over. But luckily it hadn't. The most important is we did it as a team together."

Former Man Utd midfielder Owen Hargreaves was another to highlight the impact of Collyer.

“Thanks to Collyer, that's why they've won the game. Young kid, 21, coming on and clearing off the line. He just reads it brilliantly,” Hargreaves said.

“The reason Amorim believes in him is probably because he's training well. He should suit this system. He's got energy and legs. He's come on in big games and had an impact. 

Amorim explains Rashford absence 

When asked about Marcus Rashford's absence after the match, Amorim said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital unless the aforementioned forward begins to "give the maximum every day in training and in life."

Rashford was left out of the team for an 11th successive match and has not played since United beat Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Europa League on 12 December.

"It’s the same, it’s always the same reason. The reason is the training, the way I see what footballers should do in training, in life, it’s every day, every detail," explained Amorim.

"So if things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player.

"You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench. But I would put Vital before a player who doesn't give the maximum every day."

'Anything can happen' with Garnacho

Another player whose future at the club is in doubt is Alejandro Garnacho, who, despite starting against Fulham, has been linked with a move away in the January transfer window, which shuts on 3 February.

"Nobody knows. Anything can happen," Amorim said.

"He's improving in every department of the game, the way they recover, the understanding of the game when they defend.

"I'm trying to find the best position for him, today he played a little more open, not so much inside. We need the guys one against one but I don't know what's going to happen."