Man Utd’s new goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital. (Image: Getty)
You would be forgiven if you mistook Manchester United’s new head coach, (39), assistant head coach Carlos Fernandes (30), and first-team coach Adelio Candido (28) for players on the training pitch. Amorim has brought a youthful presence with him from Sporting, a drastic change from ‘s approach, but that trend doesn’t run all the way through his backroom staff.Eduardo Rosalino, an incoming analyst, is the same age as the United boss (39), while first-team coach Emmanuel Ferro is 45 and physical performance coach Paulo Barreira is 42.The veteran of the team, though, is goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital. The 63-year-old will work closely with Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, and Tom Heaton alongside assistant Craig Mawson.
Amorim first met Vital at Braga in 2012. The latter was the Portuguese club’s goalkeeper coach while Amorim was on loan in his playing days.They crossed paths again at the same club when the highly-rated tactician became Braga’s head coach seven years later. Vital later followed him to Sporting.A former Sporting employee and described Vital as he looks: the “old man of the team.”However, they warned supporters not to judge a book by its cover, waxing lyrical about the infectious energy he brings to his role.
Jorge Vital (second left) is crucial for Ruben Amorim. (Image: Getty)
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“He looks like a grandpa, but he exudes this contagious energy out on the pitch. It’s amazing. You want to be exactly like him,” his anonymous ex-Sporting colleague explained.That said, one of the most frequent critiques that Ten Hag faced was his poor communication skills, particularly his lack of fluid English.The same problem could crop up again with Vital after the revelation that the experienced coach’s English is severely limited.His former Sporting colleague added: “I’d be surprised if he could say two sentences in English.”
Vital will also reportedly rely on Mawson to execute certain training drills, as he did with his previous assistant Tiago Ferreira, due to a limp that has progressed across his 20-year coaching career.Yet, he has been touted as the “brains” behind the routines and a charismatic individual who will often passionately tell stories from his playing days off the pitch.The first outing of the Amorim era is fast approaching, with a trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town set for Sunday.United’s fixtures come thick and fast until the New Year from then on.