Ruben Amorim was forced to step in to prevent two of his Manchester United players from coming to blows

It’s almost a year to the day since Ruben Amorim briefly channelled Tommy Shelby to deliver a blunt message to his Manchester United players: “NO. F***ING. FIGHTING.”

During the first leg of United’s Europa League clash with Real Sociedad last season, Rasmus Hojlund and Diogo Dalot nearly came to blows after Dalot failed to square the ball for Hojlund when the striker had the chance to tap in the opener.

Already enduring an 18-game goal drought, the Dane reacted furiously to the missed opportunity, flinging his arms skyward before unleashing a volley of stern words at his team-mate. Dalot snapped back, and for a moment the dispute threatened to boil over, but tempers eventually cooled.

After the game, Amorim urged his players to keep a lid on the hostilities. “The important thing is to move on and not be fighting,” he said.

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“I’m just imagining Diogo didn’t know for sure that Rasmus had the advantage and he felt that he had a lot of time to think of the play. It was a clear position, Rasmus did really well, Dalot did really well, but the decision was not the best.”

The flashpoint was ultimately overshadowed when Joshua Zirkzee fired United ahead early in the second half. The advantage proved short-lived, however, as Real Sociedad levelled from the penalty spot moments later. United would have the final say in the tie though, cruising to a 4-1 victory in the return leg at Old Trafford, with Dalot among the scorers.

Twelve months on, the trajectories of Hojlund and Dalot have looked markedly different. After managing just four Premier League goals in 32 appearances last season, United appeared to cut their losses with Danish striker, investing £74million in Benjamin Sesko during the summer window.

Hojlund was subsequently loaned to Napoli for the season, where he has rediscovered his scoring touch. He currently leads the club’s scoring charts with 13 goals in all competitions, while former United midfielder Scott McTominay sits second with 10.

At the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Hojlund is averaging a league goal every 0.4 games – a notable rise from the 0.2 he managed at Old Trafford. He remains under contract at United and is due back in Manchester at the end of the season, but with Sesko finding his rhythm, the prospect of Hojlund still being at Old Trafford come summer transfer deadline day appears increasingly remote.

As for Dalot, he has remained a constant in United’s starting XI despite the managerial turbulence. The Portugal international was a trusted lieutenant under Amorim, most often deployed as a right or left wing-back.

Since Amorim’s departure in January, interim head coach Michael Carrick has shown similar faith. After reverting to a back four, Carrick has restored the 26-year-old to his natural position at right-back, where his consistency and tactical discipline continue to make him a reliable option.

In total, Dalot is closing in on 250 appearances for Manchester United, having cemented his status as a first-team regular over the past five seasons.