In an article for The Players' Tribune magazine, Manchester United and Portugal defender Diogo Dalot shares touching stories about Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the late forward Diogo Jota.

Mourinho's unexpected call

We were sitting in a cafe in Braga, eating pancakes with yogurt. It was 2018, and I was with a friend. I was playing for Porto at the time but was just relaxing in my hometown in northern Portugal. It was a beautiful, sunny spring day. I was about to take another bite of my pancake when my friend leaned across the table and said: "Listen, someone's about to call you".

"Who?" I asked.

"You're going to freak out".

"What? Who???"

"Mourinho".

"Stop it".

My friend was working with my agent then. I was 19 years old and had just been promoted to Porto's first team. We had spoken with sporting directors before, but a coach had never called me directly.

A moment later, his phone rang. He handed it to me. I took it and ran across the street. When I answered, it was him. Jose Mourinho.

He said exactly what I wanted to hear: that I had talent, that I was strong. "I just need one verification", he said.

Mourinho had watched me when Porto played Liverpool at Anfield a few weeks earlier, as I was up against Sadio Mane. "You shut down the best winger in the world. Now come play for me", he said.

I hung up and saw my friend looking through the cafe window, as if to say: "How did it go?".

I held my flat hand up and slowly raised it towards the sky, like an airplane taking off.

We're about to fly high, my friend. We're going to Manchester United.

Defender Diogo Dalot and coach Jose Mourinho during their time at Manchester United in the 2018-2019 season. *Photo: Goal*

A few days later, I received news that I needed surgery.

I had a problem with my right knee during training. After an MRI, the doctor said I would be out for 5 months. A meniscus injury. The first serious injury of my career. I couldn't believe it.

Just as I got into my car to drive home, my agent called. I said: "I have to have surgery. Everything is over".

There was silence on the other end. "Hello?" I said.

He replied: "I don't know how to tell you, but everything is done. The paperwork is complete. Their director is on his way to your house. You just need to sign".

"So now what? Will they still sign me?"

"I don't know".

On the drive back to Braga, I was sure the deal was off. When I got home, I messaged Mourinho about the surgery. My parents, my agent, and I just sat and waited.

My father kept asking: "Any news?".

"Not yet".

I was sweating. I was trembling. Finally. Ping!

Everyone looked at me. I looked down at the screen. A message from Mourinho: "Diogo, I don't care about the injury. You'll be out for 5 months. But I'm signing you for the next 10 years".

You cannot imagine how many tears were shed. My mother cried. My father cried in a way I had never seen before. Even my agent's eyes were red. Ten seconds before that, it was the worst day of my life. And then Mourinho saw something in me that I had not yet seen in myself.

Disfavor at Manchester United and Maldini's help in Milan

Three months later, in December 2018, Mourinho was sacked. I was truly sad. He trusted me so deeply that a special bond had formed between us. Then we had a new coach.

The following summer, we signed a new right-back. The next season, I think I played only about 10 matches across all competitions. Ten matches.

"Dalot is absent due to injury".

"Dalot is on the bench today".

"Dalot is not in the squad list".

I felt ashamed sitting in the stands. There were games I watched in the club's executive area, and fans next to me would ask: "Why aren't you playing?".

I didn't even know how to answer. I wasn't injured. I just wasn't being picked. I was so ashamed that I started going down to the dressing room to watch the match alone on a TV screen.

I had played for Porto. I was once considered a great talent. Now I wasn't even on the bench. I was wasting my years. I was losing time. What was I doing here?

Forward Luis Diaz is tackled by Diego Dalot during the Manchester United 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the 32nd round of the Premier League at Old Trafford, Manchester on 7/4. *Photo: Reuters*

When I was loaned to Milan the following summer, my plan was always to return to Manchester United. Milan made me feel like a real footballer again. I learned a lot there, especially from Paolo Maldini.

He could sit all day in his office, drinking espresso, and simply be Paolo Maldini. But no. Every day he was at the training ground. Sun, rain, or cold. He was always there watching us.

One day, Maldini called me for a private talk. I thought he would give me tactical advice: intercept like this, tackle like that. But he only talked about mindset. "Diogo, you're trying too hard. Calm down. You are a great player. Everything will be fine".

When Maldini believes in you, how can you not believe in yourself?

Untold stories about Cristiano Ronaldo

Thank God, my idol turned out to be one of the best people I have ever met. We could talk for hours in the hotel, in the gym, or at the dinner table.

At that time, I liked Milan so much that I thought perhaps we could find a solution to continue together. They truly wanted to keep me, and I also had meetings with other clubs.

One day, I received a message from Cristiano. "Kid, stay at Manchester United. I'm coming back to Manchester".

He said Manchester United was the best club in the world. He said we would return to the top if we changed a few things. He would help me, and we would play many games together.

I spoke with my agent. Mourinho had wanted me there for 10 years. How could I leave after only two years?

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) greets defender Diogo Dalot after Portugal's victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium, Qatar on 6/12/2022. *Photo: AFP*

The season alongside Cristiano was when I truly matured, both as a player and a person. I cannot count how many times he predicted things correctly, because he understood what it took to reach the top.

If someone skipped a gym session, he would notice immediately. We once had a forward who played well in his first season at the club, but Cristiano said: "He won't succeed here".

I replied: "Cris, he just scored two goals today".

He said: "Yes, but he doesn't have the fire to go looking for a third".

When your opponent is Messi, nothing is ever enough.

I learned a lot from Cristiano. Once, we were having lunch before a Champions League group stage match against Young Boys, and he said: "I'm very nervous".

That man had won the tournament five times. But he still craved a sixth trophy that much. To be honest, I thought he was joking. But then I looked under the table. His right leg was trembling.

He had the ability to process all emotions in just three hours. Once he was benched at Manchester United and completely unable to accept it. He yelled. He swore.

I asked: "Cris, are you okay?".

He replied: "Give me three hours".

Three hours later, he was calm again.

He said: "Yes, I was angry. But do you think that will affect the rest of my day?".

Even now, every time we meet up with the national team, he still says: "Diogo, I'm trying something new".

A medical device. A recovery method. A mindset. We call them "mechanisms". "Hey Cris, new mechanism again? Anything for me to learn?" I often ask.

To me, it's completely insane that anyone would still debate whether he should be at the World Cup.

Does he still run like he did at 22? No.

Does he score nearly a goal a game? Yes.

Does he make all of us play better? Yes.

That man is 41 years old. He doesn't need to be here, playing with players young enough to be his children. But he is still here. Every time we meet him, we become a little wiser.

Memories of Diogo Jota and a World Cup for Diogo Jota

When we lost Diogo Jota last summer, I refused to believe it was true. I was training alone in Portugal when I saw about ten messages from my agent.

I called Bruno. I texted anyone who might know what happened. Even when his death was confirmed, everything was still too terrible for me to believe. Just a few weeks prior, we had lifted the Nations League trophy together.

I can still picture him standing next to me, holding the trophy high and dancing under a shower of confetti.

He had just gotten married, had three wonderful children. He was only 28 years old. And he still had so much more to give.

Diogo Dalot (right) vies for the ball with midfielder Diogo Jota during the FA Cup quarter-final match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England on 16/3/2019. *Photo: AFP*

Being his teammate was an honor. I remember one of the first times we sat together on the bench for the Portugal national team. We were just watching the game as usual. A throw-in was awarded to the opponent. Suddenly Diogo Jota jumped up from his seat, rushed to the sideline, and started yelling at the fourth official.

"How could you not see that?".

"When are you going to blow the whistle for us just once?".

"Come on".

I'm serious, he applied incredible pressure.

"The ball clearly touched their foot".

"I even saw it from the bench".

Oh, I forgot to mention: It was just a friendly match. When Diogo Jota sat back down, I almost felt worried for him.

"Diogo, are you okay?" I asked.

Do you know what he did? He turned and smiled. "Of course. You have to put pressure on the referee", he said.

That was Diogo Jota. We all knew he deserved to play more for the national team. But even when on the bench, he remained humble and always found ways to help the team.

He even remembered the referees' names.

"Hey Mike, how are your kids doing? Still good? By the way, that last ball was ours. You owe us a decision".

I had heard of players on the bench wishing their team would lose so they would get a chance to play. Diogo Jota was never like that. He always turned every situation into something positive.

When his coffin was carried out of the church, and I saw the pain his wife was enduring, my heart broke into a thousand pieces.

On the Portugal team bus, Diogo always sat next to Ruben Neves, his closest friend on the team. But at the next training camp, that seat was empty.

Ruben sat alone. You could clearly see he didn't know how to cope with it. None of us did. I think the only thing we can do is continue to pursue Diogo Jota's dream.

He yearned so much to see Portugal become world champions. We will not only fight for our country.

We will fight for Diogo Jota.

_Summarized by Xuan Binh_