'My main goal, my first goal, is identity'

The players Ruben Amorim met earlier in the week, including England trio Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, were all doing rehabilitation, so it will be next week before Manchester United's new head coach really gets to work.

It is likely to be Friday before he has his full squad together because of Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte's international commitments in South America.

Amorim's first game in charge is at Ipswich on 24 November and while the Portuguese accepts not everything will be to his satisfaction, he is promising fans they will see a team that is inherently his.

"The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character we had in the past," he told United club media.

"We will focus a lot on our game model - how to play, how to press, these small things. You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. But if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, it is identity."

Chief executive Omar Berrada was the driving force behind Amorim's appointment, with sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox the executives he will be working with most closely.

"We want to do something special in a special club - that was a key point," Amorim added.

"When Manchester United told me about their plans, you get excited. We know if the team plays well and wins games, everything looks so much better and the people really start to believe in the new stadium and new ideas.

"It's a real honour that I was the first choice to start that path."