Former AZ Alkmaar coach John van den Brom this impressed how Man Utd striker Wout Weghorst “tries to disguise” his limitations with hard work.
The Red Devils agreed with Cristiano Ronaldo to terminate his contract at the end of November after his controversial Piers Morgan interview about the club.
Man Utd had to wait until January to bring in a replacement with Erik ten Hag opting to sign Weghorst on loan from Championship leaders Burnley until the end of the season.
The Netherlands international is yet to score a Premier League goal but he has got on the scoresheet once in the League Cup and once in the Europa League.
It is unlikely that Man Utd boss Ten Hag sees the 30-year-old as part of his long-term plans with reports of interest in Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
And Lech Poznan boss Van den Brom, who used to manage Weghorst at AZ Alkmaar, thinks the Man Utd striker makes up for his lack of quality with hard work.
“Believe me, he didn’t expect that either. I think Wout is also honest enough to admit that,” Van den Brom told Voetbal Nieuws (via Sport Witness).
“We must not forget that if you always keep working on yourself and keep investing in your career, both on and off the field, you will see that it can lead somewhere. He got the most out of it every day.
“There are plenty of players with more talent or quality who don’t get the most out of it. Wout knows very well what he can do and also what he is less good at.
“He tries to disguise this by always working hard. As a result, he always remains upright with his mentality. I have a lot of respect for him.
“Wout is still the same. I messaged him after his transfer to Manchester United. He responded right away. Those are nice things.
“A lot of the players I’ve worked with have turned out well. You know what they did for it. Some players have exceptional talent, but I no longer believe in talent alone. You have to do more for it.”
Assessing his own performances for Man Utd, Weghorst said recently: “There were a few situations where I was close, but always just not. It’s just… just s***. Bad luck? Whether it’s just bad luck. Ultimately, it’s also quality. You have to be honest about that too. You can call it bad luck.
“But that last ball of mine was allowed in. As a striker, you know that you can score in these kinds of matches. Then you can also remain standing for the entire match, then you would like to repay the trust. That sucks.”
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