Interviews Executive
Premier League great Dwight Yorke has told Ruben Amorim that he can win a Premier League title at Manchester United in only three to five years in an exclusive interview with PokerScout.
The 1999 treble winner also backed Amorim’s decision to adapt his tactics and bring in a back four, and called on the club to have a conversation with Antoine Semenyo about moving to Old Trafford to play as a forward, not a wing-back.
In a wide-ranging interview, Yorke explained why the World Cup draw wasn’t to his taste, and suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo’s rumored appearance in the next Fast & Furious film could mark the start of a career shift into becoming a fully fledged movie star in the future.
PokerScout: Have Manchester United made progress under Ruben Amorim?
Dwight Yorke: When you’re a manager, you’re in the job to learn. You have a certain playing style and philosophy that you tend to follow because it’s part of your belief system as a manager.
A year plus into the job, we still need to see some big changes, as I think there are some players who haven’t fully brought into the system, as while there has been some improvement, there is still a lot to do.
You have to adapt accordingly and he’s been able to adapt a little bit. We have seen a little bit of improvement at United, and that’s obviously because he had to revert back to a four instead of a five.
Is Sir Alex Ferguson right that Manchester United need another 10 years to win the title?
I can see what the ex-manager is thinking, but I don’t think the league is as strong as it used to be. I don’t think Man City’s dominance is as big as it was, even though they are still one of the best teams in the league. Liverpool will go through a transition. People like Virgil van Dijk will not be there in 10 years.
So when you make changes, like any other team, and no other team is as significant as Manchester United, the changes take a long time. The cycle will continue.
But 10 years, I don’t think it will take them that long, I think it could be done in the next five years.
I’m not going to really go against the old manager. He’s an experienced campaigner, but football has certainly changed from the dominance of these teams where they used to have a period of maybe a cycle of 10 years. I don’t think that 10 years exists anymore.
I think a cycle is maybe three to five years, a team is dominant, and then there’s a drastic change in who’s dominating. So I want to agree but slightly disagree with the boss in terms of taking that long.
Do Manchester United need to win their next three games?
While in the past you’d go into United games expecting to win, there is less certainty at the club now going into games.
The result the other night was a significant one against Newcastle. I think that will give the team a lot of confidence, knowing the fact that they’re probably not having their best player in Bruno Fernandes on the football pitch.
I think the manager, the players, and the fans will take a huge step in the right direction in that sense, as I think it will be another big step if United can get some good results from these next games.
But in the Premier League, nothing is guaranteed.
Would Bruno Fernandes be a massive loss to Manchester United if he moved on in 2026?
Bruno Fernandes has certainly been the talisman of the football club for the past five years. Marcus Rashford, in his best season, scored 30 plus goals, but Bruno has always been a significant player.
United have always had really good attacking players and Bruno has fit that without a doubt. He’s been incredible for the football team over the past five years or so.
He was resilient in that he didn’t want to go to Saudi, I think that it’s good that the manager backed him at that moment. It’s turned out to be the right decision from a Manchester United standpoint.
I wonder if Bruno’s mindset is more positive now, since they added Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to the team, which gives them a little bit more attacking force.
Are they a far better team than what they were? They’ve slightly improved, with Sesko as well. I think the front attacking players have always been good. It’s just the middle to back is the one that I think they can still improve on. Would they close the gap? Would they win anything with Ruben Amorim going into the next campaign? I still think there is work to do.
I would like to think that Bruno will look at the whole season come the end of the year. I think he will remain there, but if United fall off and fail to qualify for the Champions League, I think that will change the whole dimension of what he’s thinking might be.
At the end of the season, Bruno has to find what is best for him at the end of the day and he has to meet that goal.
Should Manchester United go after Antoine Semenyo?
Antoine Semenyo is probably one of the best players, if not the best player, in the Premier League right now in terms of what he’s doing, and taking into consideration the team that he’s actually playing for.
If he was to go and play with better teams, better players, his potential would be huge. There is a reason why all the top teams are interested, because of his consistency and what he’s been doing.
For Manchester United, he would get fans off their seats, I think he’s an exceptional player. Is he going to fit in there? What is he going to bring to the United team? I think he could take the ball up the pitch, to relieve the defenders.
I think it would be a significant move from the manager’s standpoint. Over the years when United have always played, they have players who take the ball up high up the pitch, which relieves the defenders, Semenyo can do that.
It’s been key to United’s success over the years. Andrei Kanchelskis, to Ryan Giggs, to David Beckham, to Cristiano Ronaldo, to Antonio Valencia, those type of players always get the ball, take it really high and deep into the opposition half.
That’s what he would bring as well as goals and his creativity. I think he’ll be an exceptional player, but not as a wing-back.
Where Ruben Amorim wants him to play will have a big impact on his decision. If I was him, I’m not going to be playing as a wing-back, taking away my ability to create.
I would suggest an initial conversation, but he’s certainly a player that not just United, but City and everybody else would love to have in their team at this present time.
What are your thoughts on how common loan moves have become for young players?
I’ve never been on loan, when you hear players go on loan. Even as a young kid, the club never allowed me to go on loan. That’s when you kind of realize how good you were.
Normally a young kid who’s not playing, you go on loan, but they didn’t allow me to go on loan. So that speaks volumes. I had no other ambition but to be the best until over that period of time, and I managed to accomplish that.
Could you see Jesse Lingard being a success at Wrexham?
Jesse is an interesting character. I’ve always kept an eye on him due to the United connection. I really don’t know what his priority is right now, but he still obviously wants to play football, and at the Championship level, there’s no question he’d be an asset.
Whether he wants to return to England, enjoys his life abroad, or is looking for one more pay deal in a league like Saudi Arabia, a top-seven team there would certainly take a punt on him. He has name recognition and has done reasonably well in South Korea.
However, if he were to go to Wrexham, that wouldn’t be a surprise either. Maybe he feels it’s time to come back home to be closer to his daughter and help Wrexham get promoted to the Premier League.
That could be one last rodeo for him, and I’ve experienced the advantages of joining a Championship team. I did it at Sunderland when they were 23rd, and we got promoted as champions.
It can be done, and it’s a way to get Jesse back to a level I’m sure he’s craving. I would certainly consider it. Wrexham are a very ambitious team with wealthy backers, making good progress and currently sitting mid-table in the Championship.
We know that with a good run, you can get promoted in a heartbeat. I would tell Jesse to look at it, as I’m a prime example that it’s possible. When it’s done, it’s a fantastic achievement, and before you know it, you’re playing Premier League football again when you thought it was all doom and gloom. I encourage him to look at it.
How big of a call was it for Celtic to bring in Wilfried Nancy?
Celtic were clearly showing that they were looking to move on. They were looking to get a new man in, and they already had their mind made up. So they went ahead and when Nancy lost the first three games, everyone was calling for his head.
He’s got two consecutive results now. That’s how quickly football changes. Despite his failures, he’s three points off top and it just goes to show the overall strength of the Scottish league.
There is obviously history there, but the quality in the Scottish league still has a huge question mark over it.
What have you made of Xabi Alonso’s relationship with Real Madrid’s stars?
There are two ways to look at that. Xabi Alonso wanted to come in and really stamp his authority there. He’s been at the club as a player, so he understands the culture and the big names in that dressing room.
The important thing, when you have big names, big egos, big personalities, and a manager who’s been successful in the Bundesliga coming in to try and resonate his ideas, there’s always going to be a little bit of a conflict.
I’m not sure what his managerial skills are, but when you have your star names like Vinicius Junior, we’ve all speculated in the media what’s going on, but it’s very hard to know the conversation he may have had with his players that led to that sort of fallout.
Vinicius Junior, on any given day is in everybody’s team, right? And to not start him, there must be another reason behind that. But we don’t know and I’m not going to speculate.
Now that I’m actually in management. I can see both sides of the coin, but we speculate without knowing the exact facts behind it. As a manager, you live and die by the sword.
If it means falling out with one of your big names, providing that he gets the results and goes on to win La Liga, then all would not be forgotten, but he does it his way.
But he better do that because if he doesn’t, there’s always going to be one person who falls, and that’s not the players so much, but the manager.
Did you ever have the chance to play in Spain?
It nearly happened when I was leaving Aston Villa. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona had shown interest in that period of time. We had meetings back then with Jesus Gil, I think it was the then-owner, before I went to United.
We know that Barcelona had some interest, but it never really materialized because once United came in and showed interest, the conversation happened with Sir Alex Ferguson so quickly there was no time for other people. I know my agent had met with them in London, somewhere in that period of time, but I had my mind already set on going to United.
Who are your favorites to win AFCON from what we’ve seen so far?
Morocco, Egypt and Nigeria are favorites. They’re the powerhouses in Africa football. They always have been, there are no shocks there.
“It’s good to see the other teams competing. But I think when it comes down to African football, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, although Nigeria are not at their very best, those are the ones that I think that will eventually come through.
Cameroon might have an outside chance. Ivory Coast still have potential. So those are the ones that are lingering. I would say those are the top five. You expect those to be the top five somewhere along the line.
There might be an upset somewhere along the line because the gap is closing, big teams are not as dominant as they used to be. So it’s exciting, time will tell.
Look at countries like Morocco and the quality of players they have produced.
Nigeria has always produced good players, players in all these international leagues, Egypt with Mohamed Salah there, there is always going to be strong teams.
Then there is Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Senegal, outside of that, it’s really hard for teams to compete.
Can Victor Osimhen attract more Premier League interest with a strong showing at AFCON this year?
Victor Osimhen has always been a good scorer and he’s been linked everywhere. For the last two or three years, he’s been linked everywhere.
Before he went to Turkey recently, we thought that somebody would have got him in the Premier League, but somehow it’s not quite materialized. I’m not so sure if they fancy him at that level.
He seems to do well in the other leagues. I’m not so sure if he’s fancied playing in the Premier League because of the demands there and whether his game is suitable there.
Do Egypt need Mohamed Salah at his very best to go all the way this year?
Mohamed Salah is someone with a big personality, and when you go back to playing for your country, it’s not just the expectation, but teammates engage with you, they want to be part of what you’ve been doing and part of your success.
The level goes up an extra 10% when you have a star name like that in your ranks. So I think that’s what he’s done. He brings his personality, seems a very good human being himself, as well as an outstanding player.
Players get attracted to that and want to be part of that so you can elevate yourself and win things for your country, they all want that recognition of playing with Salah.
When you have a star player like Egypt do with Mo Salah. The attention is on him for various reasons because he’s not in the team at Liverpool, so there’s quite a huge media surrounding around it.
It’s a buzz. You either embrace it or you fall. And right now Egypt seem to be benefiting from Salah-mania, so to speak. It’s just fantastic to see if you’re looking from the outside.
How do you assess South Africa’s chances for glory at AFCON this year?
South Africa have been a hit and miss for a number of years. They haven’t really qualified for the World Cup, although this year they have. They haven’t done it for a number of years, since 2010, I think, was the last time they appeared.
They’ve gone through a transitional period. Most of the players are playing in South Africa. They haven’t got the big names, like Benni McCarthy who was in the Premier League. They haven’t got that experience, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they are outsiders.
They’re just finding their way back into international football, they’re getting a little bit more recognition. They will be in the World Cup, which is great for them. It’s a country that I think should be doing far better than what they have because of their league and the competitiveness within that league.
Will Manchester United want Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo to go all the way with their nations at AFCON?
As a manager, you want your best players with you, and these are obviously two of the best players at Manchester United right now. In my opinion, this is evident because of what Amad is doing, with the incredible goals he scored last night, and Mbeumo has been a good addition since he arrived, hitting the ground running and having a really good start at United.
So you need those players. I think the manager will be worried to make sure they don’t get burned out from these games, but that’s a secondary concern.
At the end of the day, as a manager, you want your players back. Ideally, you want them out of the competition as quickly as possible. That’s from a selfish point of view, of course, but ultimately you want the players and their country to do well.
If they go far into the competition, it means you’re not going to get them for an even longer period of time. But, on the flip side of that, if they were to get knocked out, they’d be more than welcome back as quickly as possible, integrated back into the system and the way of life back in England, and get them playing for United a little bit more.
But that’s from a selfish point of view. Ultimately, you want the players to do well, whether they’re playing for their country or for their club.”
What did you make of the World Cup draw and the involvement of Donald Trump?
It’s a spectacle now. Everything is big and brash and exciting over there. Obviously, the president was always going to get involved somewhere along the line. It wasn’t a pleasant watch, I have to say.
I ended up having to switch my tele over, if I’m honest with you, because that’s not what we are. We’re not into the political game. You hear people talking about fair play, and not showing any allegiance to any country or to any political background.
But yet they are certainly kind of going against what they stand for. And I think that’s a little bit too much in my opinion, but I’m not a politician. I’m not interested. I just want to see the best for the game. And once everyone is happy from a football standpoint, that’s all that matters.
What can the USMNT hope for at the World Cup?
Paraguay, Australia, and then a playoff team. The Americans had to have a favorable draw. I think that’s just common knowledge. I played against them. We got hammered that day and I take full responsibility for it. It was a little bit naive in the approach.
I looked at their squad, they probably don’t have some of the players that didn’t want to play in that competition in the CONCACAF Cup.
So, that’s probably a reason why, but having watched them, I don’t think, even with the team that they have and the group that they were in, they’re probably going to get through. It’s not going to be as straightforward as they probably think.
They might just get through, but their struggles will continue. They’re not really a great team, not like the Americans have had in the past.
Now I might be wrong. They might get players who are coming into form who have not played in a period of time, Christian Pulisic and those types of players, and Antonee Robinson who’s not played an awful lot recently for Fulham.
Those guys coming back might just give them an added lift to the level that they’re expecting, playing on their own turf. The expectation, who can handle that sort of scenario. That’s all those factors. Let’s see how they handle it.
I expect them to get out of that group, but I don’t think it’s as straightforward as a lot of people think. They are not as great. I won’t be surprised if they just get out of that, but I doubt they will advance after that.
Can Cristiano Ronaldo be a successful actor in retirement?
I think that given what Cristiano Ronaldo has done in the game and what he’s achieved, a bit similar to Lionel Messi, why would filmmakers not want to engage with someone with his profile and as good-looking as he is, he’s got everything going for him,
Why not entice him? You’ve seen all these singers and rappers getting into acting. So why can’t we, from sports, have people like Ronaldo in that same circle? We see it all the time, and it’s fine for these rappers and musicians to make that sort of step up to the big screen.
It would be good to see Cristiano Ronaldo in one of these major films like Fast and Furious, if that is true. It brings excitement.
You know what he’s bringing, he’s the most followed person on social media. All of that. As a producer, why would you not engage in something like that? To me, it’s a no-brainer.
It would be good to see people from all sports finally getting onto the big screen. Pelé did Escape to Victory back in the day, and it’s amazing how things come full circle.
Although I don’t think he’s the greatest player in the world, certainly being on the big screen would be an exciting time, and I certainly will be watching it.
What have you made of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami?
Lionel Messi has made the MLS his playground. When you start as a kid, you have all your mates around you, you’re just playing football and enjoying yourself. You’re still the best player, picking everybody up, and everyone is running around, getting you the ball.
He seems like he’s in that playground again. Even though he’s coming to the end of his career, he’s still in that little playground where everyone is kind of running around. He is still, obviously, a fantastic player.
When you have that kind of ability, sometimes you don’t have to do too much. He’s never been the most workmanlike professional, but his ability is unquestionably the best in the world. It’s huge to admire the consistency he continues to bring.
Still deceptive, still has a little bit left in the locker. You’d probably think this was going to be the last rodeo for him and he would want to go out with a bang.
Don’t write him off just because he’s got that special X-factor that he can still produce a bit of magic. It’d be interesting to see how he does get on in the World Cup because the level of the World Cup compared to where we are in the MLS is not quite the same.
So you’d be interested to see where he’s at with these young players being a little bit more aggressive towards him. But still, undoubtedly, he’s still the best player in the world with how he goes about it.
In Miami he’s embraced it and he’s loving life. So yeah, I look forward to seeing how he gets on because he’s still one of the best players to watch.
What did you think of Endrick going on loan to Lyon?
You don’t send good players out on loan. I firmly believe if you’re a good player, why the hell are you going on loan?
They paid all this money for this kid. He comes with a huge reputation. He looks like the real deal, but yet you send him along the road. I don’t agree with that. I don’t like that.
I think it could be beneficial, it could be non-beneficial. You go to a team on loan, you’re playing with lesser players, with not the same quality, but you expect to shine. That, for me, is not the scenario I want to go into. I want to shine with good players around me.
Then people say: ‘Well, you can go the other way. If you go there and show what a good quality player you are, then you come back to a team.’
But you’re supposed to play with them, but you can’t get in because you’re doing well over here, but you can’t do well over here. I’m not a firm believer in that. I think good players are not supposed to do anything.
Good players stay and fight. I will die by that sort of policy. Not just from my experience, but I think I’ve had enough experience in football now. Going out on loan, Jesse Lingard was an example. He goes out on loan, and you think he comes back and he doesn’t play.
It doesn’t make any sense to me. I get that Endrick wants to play football. But you know, when you go to Madrid, that’s the case. I’d rather leave and say: ‘Right, let me start my new career again somewhere where I’m going to be appreciated.’
Rather than come back into the same fold, where the same manager is there, who sent you out on loan, you get more experience, but you’re playing with lesser players.
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