Ruben Amorim’s former team-mate shows true colours as he admits ‘I’m glad he left’

A former team-mate of Ruben Amorim's says he's delighted to see his old colleague doing so well for himself.

Jonas Goncalves Oliveira, better known as 'Jonas', played alongside the new Manchester United manager at Benfica. They only spent a year together, but in that time grew to be close friends.

Speaking on the Zuca e Tuga podcast, Jonas, 40, said: "He [Amorim] was the first person to welcome me to Lisbon, I remember it like it was yesterday. He told me that I would be a hit at Benfica, that I would do really well there. We have a great relationship, we were only together for one season, but Ruben has always been an intelligent player."

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Continuing, the former Brazilian forward, who made 183 appearances for Benfica over five seasons, humorously acknowledged that Amorim's move away from Sporting CP might improve his old side's chances in the Primeira Liga, demonstrating just how highly-rated he is in Portugal. "I'm happy with the success he's having as a coach because he's a great human being. I'm glad he left [Sporting CP], it's good for Benfica," he laughed.

Amorim, now 39, spent nine years as a player on the books at Benfica, although he didn't feature much in his last few years with the club. He joined in 2008 from Belenenses and made 154 appearances for the Lisbon side. After retiring in 2017, Amorim transitioned into coaching in a move that surprised former club-mate Jonas.

"I never imagined that he would become a coach, but when he played he was very intelligent, he had a great understanding of the game," he