Diogo Dalot explains how Erik ten Hag has helped to improve him at Manchester United

Diogo Dalot believes that Erik ten Hag is helping him become a better footballer by instilling him with confidence.

Manchester United signed Dalot back when Jose Mourinho was in charge in 2018 for £20million from Porto but he struggled for minutes under his compatriot as well as his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

A successful loan move to AC Milan in the 2020/21 season didn't result in much more game time last season either and it looked as though the defender could leave the club in the summer.

However, Ten Hag put an end to that and immediately made Dalot his first choice at right-back and transfer listed Aaron Wan-Bissaka instead. The 23-year-old has enjoyed steady improvement this season and took home the plaudits after his heroic defensive display in the 1-0 victory over West Ham.

Dalot is now a key part of a defence that has conceded just once from open play in the last eight games and he has explained how Ten Hag has helped him improve. "I think it's something that you try to improve every single day, not just defensively but offensively," he told Sky Sports.

"You always have something that you can add on to your game and obviously the help of this manager and the confidence that he is bringing to me every single week and every single day is helping me to be a better football player, a better man as well. 

So I'm very happy with the confidence that he is giving me and what I want is to give him back on the pitch with games like this [West Ham], moments like this and I think this is the way it should be."

Dalot also discussed the attacking side of his game and how his teammates help him have an impact at the opposite end of the pitch. He continued: "I know that I have this ability to go forward and help the team up front.

"I have fantastic teammates that help me to feel comfortable when we have the ball and try to find spaces in the midfield or up front or in the wide areas, so I try to give the best that I can. Obviously, respecting everything that the manager asks us to do and asks me to do but I'm feeling very comfortable to do that."