Why Amorim and Fletcher ran the gauntlet
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim was amusingly made to run the ‘gauntlet’ before Wednesday’s training session at Carrington, to mark his 40th birthday.
Ruben was joined in running through the corridor of players by his assistant coach Darren Fletcher, who is set to celebrate his 41st birthday on Saturday 1 February.
The gauntlet has become something of a tradition this season, generally to celebrate players returning to training from injury, including the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro.
The video is going viral across the social media – you can watch it below…
Amorim and Fletcher run the gauntlet!
TRAINING CLIP | Before the session, birthday boy Ruben Amorim was made to run the gauntlet alongside Darren Fletcher...
A SIGN OF SPIRIT
The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell was our pitchside guest on MUTV’s live broadcast of training and, as he explained to Zarah Connolly, the gauntlet is a positive sign for the squad.
“It's what you want from a group like this,” he explained. “A football season is very long and you spend a lot of time together. At some moments of the season, you see them more than your own family, right, and that is certainly the case when you are working long hours at Carrington.
Birthday boys Ruben and Fletch run the gauntlet! 🤣🎂#MUFC || #UEL pic.twitter.com/Z4DoR2EmGs
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2025
“The fact that they are able to share those kinds of moments is important. I think Ruben Amorim was saying after the Rangers game that he is really looking forward to pre-season and trips like that because that is when you are away with each other.
“You are able to spend some downtime when it is not just about football, when you can have conversations more about life and getting to know each other.
“If you can establish those relationships and those links, in the hard moments during the season, you can push each other, you can demand more, so I think he is looking forward to getting to know his players more.”
Head coach Ruben Amorim is set to hold his pre-match media briefing in Bucharest from 19:00 GMT, with young centre-back Leny Yoro alongside him at the top table.
The press conference will not be shown live on MUTV because it clashes with our live coverage of the Under-21s’ English National League Cup match at Oldham Athletic.
Club reporter Adam Marshall will be on the ground in Romania to provide the breaking news and views. The on-demand video will also be available to watch soon after the event has finished.
Look out for our exclusive interviews with Amorim and Yoro on Thursday morning.