Reuben Amorim said his first priority which Manchester United The manager will revive the identity the club had before as he promised to do everything to get them back where he believes they belong.

The 39-year-old has joined this week and said he felt an instant connection with United and revealed he was delighted to be the first manager appointed by the new regime.

Claiming that United are the “engine” of football, Amorim said he was inspired by the glory and tragedy of United’s history as he tries to take the team, currently 13th in Premier Leagueback to the levels they were once at.

But while there has been a focus on the 3-4-3 system Amorim played with his former club Sporting, he intends to stamp an identity on the players he inherited from Erik ten Hag, rather than simply change shape.

He told MUTV: “I think it’s important because now a lot of people talk about 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 and all that. But when I think as a player or as a team-mate of Manchester United, it’s not a system for formation, it’s like the character of the players, how they see the club.”

Amorim believes that the team must come first to create a fighting spirit. He explained: “The most important thing for me right now is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had before. If I have to explain the importance of everything, it’s the character, the way we fight, the way we play, and we have to have an identity. If our players take the shirt, they’ll know it’s the Manchester United team. Everyone’s running back, playing, enjoying themselves.”

Amorim insisted he cannot plead for patience as he wants the team to have their mark when his reign begins in earnest in his first game at Ipswich next Sunday.

He said: “We have to start from day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this. This is not on my mind. They will start on day one with our idea, no matter what. It is the target.”

He vowed to create a siege mentality by supporting his team, adding: “I will do everything for the team. I will defend my players if I have to, all the time against everyone. It is a key point for me. I will try to do everything to get this club where it belongs. And I have a lot of faith that we will succeed.”

Amorim said the decision to leave Sporting was due to the bond he felt with United, including the new hierarchy.

He added: “I think I felt a connection with the club. And when I say with the club, everyone knows Manchester United. But I feel the connection with the people at the club and that’s very important to me because I want to work with people that I think if and I feel a connection. The other point is the history of the club. And also at the moment I think that all people are hungry for success and I feel that this is the place I want to be also because you can be a part of something special, not just another one. And that’s something that I really like. It’s a club with a great history.”

Managing director Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox were responsible for bringing him in as the first new manager since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought his 27.7 per cent stake and Sir Dave Brailsford was brought to the club. Amorim has made a positive impression on each one.

“Even Sir Jim and Sir Dave, but especially Omar, Dan and Jason,” he said. “I felt a connection and I felt that we are in the same moment. We want to do something special in the special club. So I think that was a key point.”

Berrada hopes to make United champions again by their 150th anniversary in 2028, Ratcliffe has said he wants to knock Liverpool and Manchester City off their seats and Amorim is motivated by the ambition they have shown.

“When Manchester United spoke to me, Omar, they told me their plans and you get excited,” he said. “It’s a real honor because I was the first choice to start that way. So it’s a big responsibility. But you feel honored and excited to be a part of it. And we know that if the team plays well and wins games then everything looks so much better and the people are really starting to believe in the new stadium and new ideas. So we know that we are the engine of football. Manchester United is the engine of the Premier League in my opinion.”

Amorim has been at Old Trafford this week and wants to capitalize on United’s past to take them back to the top.

“It’s so different,” he said. “You see the trophies, you see the tragedy that we have as a club. So you can understand the history, after the crash, then we were European champions. This kind of strength I think is important to put in our team.”

Amorim’s former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo has called him a poet and he explained: “It’s like a funny thing because I like to talk, not too much, but when I talk, I talk. I think I speak from the heart. I think the people feel like it was something just for fun.”