Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes hopes new head coach Ruben Amorim can “change the energy” at the club.
The Portugal international said he has also seen how his compatriot has kept faith with players who are struggling and defends his players.
Amorim checked in at the club’s Carrington training complex on Monday for meetings and familiarisation but cannot begin coaching until his work visa is confirmed.
But the success he has had at Sporting, guiding them to two titles in the last four seasons and leaving them six points clear after winning all 11 league matches, gives Fernandes hope for what he can achieve in the wake of Erik ten Hag’s sacking.
“Sometimes a person can change the energy of a space, if it’s the right moment,” Fernandes, who left Sporting for United just before Amorim took over, told MUTV.
“We hope that he can come and this is the right moment for him to come and bring his energy, bring his qualities and his knowledge of football, because he’s done something really, really special at Sporting.
“If someone doubts that, it’s about just looking at the past. Sporting was to be about 20 years without winning the league and he got back to win the league, and he won it two times in four years with a really youthful team, in a moment of change.
“So hopefully he can do the same here for us and [hopefully] it’s going to be a successful time for all of us.
“He’s a really smart manager that has done really good things for Sporting tactically – it’s really good, what I’ve seen from the games for Sporting.
“But obviously you can’t bring or transform what he has done at Sporting into here, because you have different players, you have different ways of play and everything.
“I’m pretty sure that the idea of football he has, independent of the way he wants to play, is going to be a good one and it’s going to bring us success.
“That’s what I hope and I’m pretty sure that (is what) he hopes too.”
Ten Hag was criticised for not having an established pattern of play and failing to get the most out of an expensively-assembled squad which under-performed.
Fernandes believes Amorim can bring the squad together.
“I’ve seen many, many moments where players were struggling and he kept his faith in them,” he added.
“He always goes to the press conference and always defends their players.
“He had a really youthful team so they needed that and hopefully when he comes here he can do the same again with the youth.
“Us players with the most experience, we have to help him to get that and get the best out of every player at this club.”