Manchester derby in the Premier League this weekend will be Dalot's 250th appearance in a Manchester United shirt. Prior to the match, the Manchester United defender was interviewed by ESPN's Rob Dawson. He discussed his 9-year career at Manchester United, why he has stayed at the club, his sense of responsibility in helping younger players, Carrick's strengths as a manager, the Manchester derby, and Manchester United's path back to the top. Below is part two of the exclusive interview.
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When you talk about "helping others," do you feel that as part of the leadership group, it's your responsibility? Because young players typically focus on themselves when they first arrive, trying to adapt. Now that you have more experience, do you feel obligated to tell new arrivals: "No, at Manchester United, this is how we conduct ourselves"?
Absolutely. I remember when I first joined, there were senior players who had been with the club for a long time, and they gave me a lot of advice and support, allowing me to understand certain truths – for example, sometimes when you're in a bad situation, things aren't as bad as they seem; and sometimes when you're satisfied with yourself, you actually need to maintain a sense of hunger and crisis. Because people often misunderstand criticism; criticism isn't always bad – most of the time it's constructive advice, and you have to take responsibility and show ownership. You absolutely cannot have an attitude of "I don't read any news" or "I don't care about outside opinions at all."
Sometimes you have to care, because that concern transforms into motivation and a sense of responsibility to make you better. What's important is understanding and finding balance: distinguishing which advice is truly beneficial for you, and understanding how to become a better player. Similarly, when the team is doing well, the outside world will praise you to the heavens, making you feel like you're one of the best in the world, but this often isn't enough to keep you focused throughout the entire season, because once you become complacent and then face failure, you fall into a deep pit. Having been at Manchester United for so long, I believe my responsibility is to help my teammates see reality, to understand that sometimes things aren't as bad as they appear, but sometimes they're also not as perfect as they appear. So yes, I think this is certainly one of my core roles now, and I'm happy to take on this responsibility.
Michael Carrick seems very good at maintaining this mental balance – never too excited or discouraged, especially when dealing with us in the media. He never lets himself get swept away. Do you sense this from him?
Of course. I think that's one of his most outstanding qualities. Although I didn't play alongside him as a teammate – he was already an assistant coach when I arrived – I can completely imagine he was equally calm as a player. To establish yourself at Manchester United over many years, you must possess an extremely calm and composed playing style and character. This is one of his greatest strengths. As a Manchester United legend, he knows exactly what it means to visit Leeds United, to visit Anfield, and he deeply understands the significance of hosting Man City. This profound experience, whether as a player or head coach, gives him a tremendous advantage. So he can always inspire us at critical moments, keeping us in the right mindset; but at the same time, when things aren't going well, he definitely makes us feel the pain and urgency of the situation deeply.
On Sunday, you'll face an important home match against Man City. You mentioned your desire to achieve greater things. Is this period particularly difficult, playing for Manchester United at a time when your local rivals are so successful?
Yes, I won't lie and say it doesn't hurt, because the reality is truly harsh. Especially in these direct confrontations. There have been seasons, times when we couldn't even compete with them. It's painful to admit this, because as a club with such a profound history as Manchester United, every time we step onto the pitch, we must have an inner winning mentality that we're determined to win.
The good news is that things have changed in recent years, and now you can really feel that in any match, as long as we perform at a high level and maintain the right mentality, we're completely capable of challenging any opponent. This is the best feeling a Manchester United player can have, because you want to step onto the pitch and prove to the world that you're defending such a great club.
One thing I've learned over these years is that big matches like this can change or even salvage an entire season. Last season is a vivid example; our situation then wasn't ideal, but after beating Man City, the entire team's morale soared, and then we went on a winning run. Although this season we've dropped points we should have won and haven't met expectations, these big matches can spark a flame and make us believe that the team can display the fighting spirit and qualities it should have. So I think there's no match we're more eager to fight for than this derby right now.
As a Manchester United player living in Manchester, how do you feel when a big match is coming up? Do fans stop you on the street and say: "You have to win on Sunday, please"? Is that the atmosphere throughout the city?
Yes, it happens frequently. I've been through many similar situations, and sometimes the greatest wish some fans have for an entire season is that we can beat Liverpool, or beat Man City. This only confirms how important it is to fans to see the club overcome its rivals and return to the top. But we know clearly that to compete for the Premier League title, you have to beat almost every opponent. However, all of this begins with these big matches; we need to make our title rivals understand that Manchester United will never be absent from the race. Being able to participate in such a direct confrontation is always exciting, and the atmosphere at the stadium is unmatched, especially at Old Trafford, where fans always inspire endless possibilities. This is the allure and magic of this club.
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