'He can do magic' - Ruben Amorim has set Jason Wilcox new challenge at Manchester United

It might still be relatively early days, but the relationship between Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim and technical director Jason Wilcox is off to an encouraging start. The pair speak daily, and according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Amorim is benefitting from Wilcox's leadership around Carrington.

But Wilcox will know he has much to live up to in building the kind of long-term relationship that can drive a club forward. Amorim and Hugo Viana might now be on different sides in Manchester, but their work transforming Sporting will make them lifelong friends.

That is the view of Amorim himself, who already had a relationship with Viana before being recruited by the director of football to take over at Sporting. Their union brought success back to the Lisbon club in the form of two league titles before going their separate ways this season.

Viana will officially replace Txiki Begiristain as Manchester City's director of football in the summer. Having left Sporting in February, he has already spent time in Manchester getting to know and understand the club. He will be plotting a return to the top for City, while Amorim has the same aims at United.

Viana already has the manager in place, with Pep Guardiola staying on at the Etihad. At the same time, Amorim has been thrust into a relationship with Wilcox, who has assumed many of the responsibilities of axed sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Amorim was idolised in Lisbon as the coach to end their 19-year wait for another league title, but he was always quick to praise Viana for building a squad of excellent players capable of fitting in his system.

"Viana has proved, over and over, that he can do magic," Amorim said, coining a phrase that sums up the skill of a director of