Ruben Amorim actually apologised to United Strand for keeping his hair long

25 Sep 2026 08:01 CDT | 2 min read

FT Desk

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Frank Ilett of The United Strand has revealed that former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim actually apologised to him for failing to win five games in a row at Old Trafford.

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In October of 2024, die-hard Red Devils supporter Ilett came up with the idea to not cut his hair until Man Utd won five matches in a row as they hadn't done so since the previous February.

At the time the joke was conceived, Man Utd were 14th in the Premier League, having endured a poor start to the season under Erik ten Hag.

In the two years since, Ten Hag was sacked, while his replacement, Amorim, was eventually sacked as well. Neither managed to reach that five-game victory milestone.

Michael Carrick is currently in charge and came close last season only to fall at the final hurdle, while United have made a poor start to the 2026/27 season.

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A post shared by Frank Ilett (The United Strand) (@theunitedstrand)

Ilett posted a picture with Amorim on his Instagram account with the caption: "Great to meet Ruben Amorim at the @portugalfootballsummit.

"He saw me, pointed to my hair and said 'sorry about that!'

"Still have love for him!"

He went viral two seasons ago and soon became internet-famous with 1.5 million followers on Instagram. He updates his followers every day with his journey.

Back in March of 2025, he told BBC Radio Manchester: "I'm really hoping it's done by the end of the season or else it's going to be a very hot summer.

"Sadly I reckon it's going to be next season now, I think. I've looked at the remaining fixtures and I don't see a run of five that's winnable.

"It has been very difficult. But I want to do the hair cut at Old Trafford, or at least somewhere nearby. Either way, there's plenty of time to plan it!"

It went on for another 18 months and is ongoing now.