Benjamin Sesko is Exhibit A in Michael Carrick’s case for Man United job

The keys to such a transformation are many and varied, although both Sesko and Carrick quickly reference communication and the belief the head coach has in him.

“We are talking, of course, but [Carrick] believes in me, everyone believes in me, they are getting me ready to start as soon as possible,” Sesko said. “It’s more about me showing up when it’s important. No matter how many minutes I’m getting, I’m focusing on delivering and trying to help the team secure the wins.

“I’m getting settled in the league from game to game. I’m not even thinking about, ‘I have to start, I have to start.’ For me, it’s just whenever coach decides to put me there one time or not, I’m just going to be there. If I get the next minutes, five minutes, I’m going to use them and for me it’s just about trying to enjoy and delivering for the team.”

Not that Sesko’s own attempts at self-improvement should go underappreciated. When Amorim used the “control freak” tag it was meant as a compliment, a reference to the incredible detail the 22-year-old follows in an effort to squeeze out every small possible advantage.

A regular user of the hyperbaric chamber recently installed at United’s training ground, Sesko’s Cheshire home also boasts its own gym, ice bath and sauna to aid the 6ft 5in striker in his recovery processes. A personal fitness trainer and chef are also on call.

All of which has played into the philosophies and approach of first Fletcher and now Carrick and his assistant, Steve Holland. After the first training session conducted by the present regime Holland sent players home with bespoke video clips downloaded to their phones. That must have been music to Sesko’s ears.

“We showed him some video, but Ben’s been working really, really hard himself. He’s a diligent lad. He trains well. He reviews his games meticulously so he’s been striving for that moment,” Fletcher said after his first game in charge had ended 2-2 at Burnley, with two goals from Sesko.

“There’s lots of potential in this squad and I think potential is a good word because you can see some young players who are learning their trade and developing at Manchester United under the biggest microscope under the most intense pressure. So within that, they’ll have to learn quickly, but they’ll have to develop a thick skin and deal with the pressures that come with that.”

Another move that took place when Fletcher — who has now returned to his role as under-18 head coach — was installed as caretaker in early January was the promotion of the academy coach Travis Binnion, a former Sheffield United youth team player who at one stage seemed destined for professional cricket at Nottinghamshire, to work with the first team.

The new management regime has placed greater emphasis on individual, one-on-one sessions, with Binnion specifically handed a role as a “player development” coach. For a player such as Sesko, who eschews social media and whose favourite book is Mel Robbins’s The Let Them Theory — a popular self-help philosophy designed to reduce stress by tuning out external noise — it sounds like a marriage made in heaven. Sesko was certainly quick to praise Binnion after the Everton win.

“Always after training, already it’s work in the box, on the edge of the box, short contacts because in the Premier League you don’t have time,” Sesko said. “This is where it’s really helping me and not just me but also the other players. I’m really happy that I can work with Travis because he’s helped me a lot.”

It suggests that, whether as a starter or off the bench, Sesko is starting to show the sort of form that made him No1 on United’s transfer wishlist last summer. Amorim was known to have wanted United to sign a “plug-and-play” ready-made striker, with Premier League experience — the sort of signings they opted for in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, knew Sesko from their time in the Red Bull system at Salzburg and Leipzig and the club persisted with their pursuit of the striker even though they initially thought he was destined for Arsenal. Their faith in him has been consistent, even during his difficult start, and could become a factor in returning United to the Champions League.

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