Eric Bailly converts Mourinho following gesture during Liverpool defeat

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly impressed Jose Mourinho when he volunteered to start against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly last Saturday.

United were defeated 4-1 by their long-time rivals after fielding a side comprised of youth players, while most of United’s first-team stars were still on their holidays.

Chris Smalling suffered a minor injury in the warm-up, and the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international volunteered to take the Englishman’s place which impressed his coach.

“When he saw that Smalling in the warm-up was leaving, he decided by himself he did not want another kid on the pitch,” Mourinho told reporters, according to Goal.

“That is why we have him, why we still have him and why he is going to stay with us because football teams need people like him; the kind of people where the club is more important than anything else.”

“He is a team boy, he is a great boy. He is an honest man, always ready to give everything for the team.”

Bailly was the first player that Mourinho brought to the club, however, injuries kept him out of the starting XI for much of last season, and there have also been reports linking the centre-back to other clubs during this summer window.

Despite this, when the Ivorian was on the pitch last season, he seemed to bring a brick wall-like sense of solidity with him, and on his day the former Villarreal man is impenetrable.

This will not be lost on Mourinho who used 11 different centre-back partnerships last campaign and will be looking to bring some stability to his defence for this season.

Harry Maguire has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford before United’s Premier League campaign begins, but Leicester City manager Claude Puel is adamant that he wants to keep the England international.

Man Utd take on Real Madrid on Wednesday in the International Champions Cup and will face the Foxes on August 10 in their Premier League opener. It remains to be seen what shirt Maguire will be wearing come kick off.

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