Manchester United worried they've burnt out one vocal player because of lack of talkers in the dressing room

Staff members at Manchester United are 'conscious' about one of their first-team players becoming 'overtaxed' in the dressing room after games, according to a new report.

Last month, United manager Erik ten Hag insisted his players were firmly behind him after it was suggested that the Dutchman had lost 50 per cent of the dressing room.

Ten Hag has struggled with a number of individuals, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, since taking over in the summer of 2022 but some have flourished.

Diogo Dalot, for example, has improved on a number of shaky performances early on in his Old Trafford career.

The 24-year-old full-back continues to have a huge influence off the pitch, as well, showing leadership skills and building a noticeable rapport with the Manchester United fan base.

Dalot often engages with supporters at the Stretford End ahead of kick-off, according to the Manchester Evening News, and mixes with fans outside Old Trafford after the full-time whistle.

The above report also compares the Portuguese full-back to other members of the first-team squad.

In fact, it is suggested that a lack of willing talkers in the United dressing room has left the club concerned about Dalot becoming "overtaxed" when it comes to post-match speaking.

Image credit: Getty

Back in August, Dalot opened up about working under Erik ten Hag.

''He's been having a really good impact on my career, especially since he came in, he gives me a lot of confidence,'' he told Manchester United's club media.

''The way that he wants to play suits the way that I want to play football, as well, and it's been a pleasure to work with him, he is a very demanding manager.

''He pays attention to the details and I like that. It's been a joy to play and be coached by him.''

He added: ''Like I've said before, the full-back position has been becoming a little bit more of an important role nowadays.

''I think in today's game the inverted full-backs are a little bit more involved and more coaches are trying that in the game. We have to just adapt, as you can see full-backs are now going forward a lot more than in past years."

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag, Diogo Dalot

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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