‘It all came together like in a movie. It was a big milestone in our lives’: Manchester United star's family recount shock of Old Trafford switch

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is vying to reshape his squad
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United full-back Patrick Dorgu’s family have revealed how they received the news of the wing-back’s winter move to Old Trafford.

He pitched up with Manchester United in February, transferring from Italian outfit Lecce, to become an important part of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation at just 20 years old.

Dorgu’s mother found the sequence of events so surprising she says it “felt like a movie”, but not all of the Dane’s relatives were so shocked.

Dorgu’s brother predicted Manchester United move last year

Patrick Dorgu poses with a Manchester United shirt ahead of the Premier League game against Crystal Palace after signing from Lecce.

Dorgu completed his move to Manchester United in January (Image credit: Getty Images)

Speaking to Danish outlet B.T., and quoted by Sport Witness, Clara, Dorgu’s mother, said: “For the previous three weeks it was everywhere in the media, that Patrick was moving to Manchester United or Napoli.

“At first, we just thought it was something the media wrote, but as time went on, it started to become real.

Denmark's defender #05 Patrick Dorgu (C) celebrates scoring the 1-0 opening goal during the UEFA Nations League football match League A, Group A4, Day 1, Denmark v Switzerland in the Parken stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT (Photo by MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

Dorgu now has a handful of senior Denmark caps (Image credit: Getty Images)

Then it all came together like in a movie. It was a big milestone in our lives to see such success and the transformation from Lecce to Manchester United. We are very happy and proud of him.”

But it was less of a shock to Dorgu’s United-supporting brother Gabriel, who had this pathway mapped out since Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia went out injured.

“I said it a long time before it was even written in the media,” Gabriel revealed. “In the summer, I told him that United could come and ask about him in January because they don’t have that many full-backs.

“I told him that he should play well for six months, because then there would be a greater chance that United would look his way. Coincidentally, it happened.”

Patrick Dorgu is said to be in talks with Manchester United

Dorgu previously played for Lecce in Serie A (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, it’s a great sign that Dorgu has such an enthusiastic family unit around him as he moves to a high-pressure environment like United at such a young age.

His uncle, Kingsley Ogbodo, who is also Dorgu’s agent and now lives in Manchester, along with his mother’s and brother’s support will likely be crucial in helping the young wing-back to settle in.

With that, and fellow Denmark international's Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund in the squad, Dorgu should feel at home in Manchester in no time.

Isaac Stacey Stronge
Freelance Writer

Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.