Dwight Yorke, a former Manchester United striker, has stirred controversy among Aston Villa fans by encouraging Manchester United to attempt to hire Unai Emery, Aston Villa’s current manager. Yorke’s comments come in light of Manchester United’s search for a new manager following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. While Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly close to taking the United helm, Yorke insists that Emery, known for transforming Aston Villa and recently extending his contract with the club until 2029, represents the right choice for Manchester United due to his elite managerial status and his successful track record at Villa.
Dwight Yorke said, “Manchester United need to find the right man, the correct man to do it. United is such an elite club, and for years we’ve been trying to do the best with good managers, not elite managers. There are a few elite managers that are in the game and Jim Ratcliffe and his team has to go out and appoint one of them. What I’m about to say might baffle the football world, but if it was me, I would go and get Unai Emery from Villa. He’s the guy that United needs right now. That’s been well documented. He’s definitely in the elite managers category. He is the man that I would go out and do everything to try and get. It’s a huge job. We know the size of the job at hand. Whoever takes the job knows it’s not going to be a walk in the park going in there. Go in there and embrace being the manager of Manchester United. Embrace the expectation that the fans all over the world have. Live it and breathe it every single day from the moment you walk in the door until the moment you walk out. It’s an enormous challenge, but what a challenge. With the experience Emery’s got, the transformation he’s brought to Aston Villa, the way he’s conducted himself with the media, he’s the perfect man. Since he went to Villa, he’s been a tremendous success. He’s turned Villa into a really top club in the toughest league in the world, got them punching above their weight consistently. He’s turned Villa into a team that can beat anyone. Nobody expects an easy ride against Villa. If he brings his energy, his philosophy, to Man United, I think it’s the perfect fit. If you want the best, you’ve got to pay the money to get the best. Manchester United do it with players, so why not do it with managers? I don’t see any problem with that. Go get the manager you want. It costs you money. What’s the big deal? You’ve already paid £40 and £50 million for players. You might as well spend money on a manager and see if that works. That’s what Roy Keane said recently, and I agree with my old mate. Go out and get the best possible manager that you can.”
