Viktor Gyokeres gave three three-word remark after Ruben Amorim made his team-mates cry

Viktor Gyokeres insisted there were “no hard feelings” when Ruben Amorim decided to abandon Sporting CP midway through last season. Amorim made the switch from the Jose Alvalade Stadium to Old Trafford in November last year while Sporting were still top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Gyokeres was left to spearhead the team without the manager that brought him to the club and, despite a rocky initial period, helped the side defend their league title and won the Taca de Portugal. Last month, Gyokeres followed his former boss to the Premier League, but opted to join rivals Arsenal over Amorim’s Manchester United.

The Swedish striker’s £64million fee means he arrives with huge expectations to perform under Mikel Arteta as the Gunners look to go one better than their second-placed finishes over the past three seasons. As if Gyokeres’ debut coming on Sunday against United at Old Trafford wasn’t enough pressure, all eyes will be on his performance against the team and manager he effectively rejected.

Amorim will know all too well of the threat the 27-year-old poses, as Gyokeres scored his first goal in an Arsenal shirt during the pre-season win over Athletic Club last weekend. And to make the two English giants’ 2025/26 Premier League opener even more interesting, United have since signed former Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko.

There is likely to be a warm embrace between Amorim and Gyokeres despite some Sporting players being upset by the manner of his departure last autumn. After United forked out £11m to release him from his contract, the 40-year-old tactician did not officially start at Old Trafford until 11 days later, remaining with the Portuguese side to oversee clashes against Estrela, Manchester City in the Champions League, and Braga.

After a 4-2 comeback win in his farewell against Braga, wing-back Geny Catamo told Bar Da Liga the players were distraught that their manager was leaving after such a momentous victory, saying: "We were all celebrating in the locker room when he came in and announced he was indeed going to Manchester United. We were sad and cried. Most players cried. I believe I was one of those who cried the most that day."

Gyokeres, though admitting his sadness upon hearing the news, made it clear that he didn’t harbour any resentment towards the young manager leaving in an interview with SIC earlier this year.

The striker said: "Of course, it was something that we, as a group of players, didn't want. Obviously, like you said, we were flying and winning every game in the league and doing well in the Champions League, too.

"It was a sad moment, but we totally understood his decision and there were no hard feelings. We spoke to him. Everything was very clear and there were no hard feelings.

"It was a difficult moment, but I think we all played a lot of games over a long period and then that kind of thing can happen. We've also changed coaches twice, we've had three different coaches.

"Then you can change the way you train or the amount of training and of course that can affect the body. Yes, we tried to take the best out of the situation, it was a hard period, but we got through it and still finished top of the league."

Gyokeres’ comments came despite his agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, previously stating Amorim was the main reason his client joined Sporting two summers ago. Cetinkaya also revealed that a number of Premier League clubs were interested in signing the Sweden international last summer following his outstanding breakthrough season, but Gyokeres opted to stay due to Amorim remaining in charge.

His soft stance on Amorim's exit may have also been a subtle indication that he was already planning his own exit, while his more distraught team-mates knew they'd be staying put. That, along with his agent's comments, mean it comes as no surprise that he too decided to leave this summer. Sunday’s clash provides the perfect chance for both Amorim and Gyokeres to prove a point to one another.

Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.