Ruben Amorim, poised to command Manchester United's squad, is recognized as one of football's most promising young managers. However, the journey to his current status was not without its doubts and challenges. In the early stages of his managerial career, Amorim, after only two matches, was so uncertain about his ability to lead that he attempted to resign. This incident occurred back in 2018 when he was just 33 years old and had started his coaching journey with Portuguese third-tier team Casa Pia, which was marked by two consecutive losses.

Upon entering the dressing room following his second defeat, Amorim had made up his mind to end his tenure prematurely, believing it would be in the best interest of all parties involved. As a novice still in pursuit of his Level 1 coaching certification, he felt that the club required a more established and experienced figurehead. With unwavering honesty, he communicated this to his surprised players. Among those players was Evandro Roncatto, a former teammate from their days at Belenenses and a close friend who had been signed by Amorim. Now the sports director of Oliveira do Hospital, Roncatto recalls the incident vividly. Despite Amorim's self-doubt, his players had already witnessed enough to have faith in him, and they swiftly conveyed a firm message to club president Victor Franco. Roncatto shared, "I was playing for Kalamata in Greece when Ruben called, and I was immediately impressed. However, he had doubts because he lacked a professional coaching qualification. He was very honest about his concerns, fearing he might harm the team due to not being a well-known coach. He entered the dressing room while we were changing and announced in front of the president and vice-president, 'I'm leaving.'" The players' immediate response was to stand up and inform the president that if Amorim were to be let go, they would all leave the club as well. They were emotionally invested and staunchly defended their coach. When the president found himself in such a predicament, any thoughts of dismissing Amorim vanished almost instantly. The players' faith in the dressing room was well-placed, as Casa Pia went on to claim the championship, and Amorim's coaching career skyrocketed. Within a year, Braga had recruited him as their reserve team manager, and three months later, he was at the helm of the first team. After just 13 games Sporting, Lisbon invested £8 million to secure his services. This episode also highlighted the loyalty that many players who have worked under Amorim claim he instills in them, with Roncatto being a prime example. The bond between them had been forged when Roncatto first arrived at Belenenses in the early 2000s, with Amorim acting as his unofficial guardian, providing meals at his family home and helping him acclimate to life in Portugal. Roncatto, now 38, praised Amorim's treatment of his players as exceptional, stating, "When he left Casa Pia for Sporting Braga, I said, 'This is where the story of an elite coach begins.' I wasn't wrong, and United has chosen the perfect person for the job."