Pereira Out To Impress During Tour 2017

Joel Pereira is hoping to impress Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho when the players fly out to America for Tour 2017, presented by Aon, this weekend.

The young goalkeeper, who has been tipped by Mourinho to be a future Portugal no.1, was handed his first senior start during the Reds' final home game of last season against Crystal Palace back in May.

Speaking exclusively to ManUtd.com ahead of this year's tour, which will be his first with the club, Pereira says he's looking forward to the experience and will be aiming to make an impact. 

"Pre-season is always good for every player," he said. "It’s a good opportunity ahead of the new season, as that’s where everything starts. If you do well in pre-season, you can prove to the manager that you’re ready to play. 

"It will be good for the squad and the team spirit as we’ll all be together, and hopefully I can get some minutes, which is important for me. I will work hard to get game time, and I will take it step-by-step to see how it goes. 

"It will be my first time on tour with the senior team, so I’m looking forward to it and being there with the squad."

United will face the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona during the trip, games which Pereira believes can help the players gauge their progress ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

"I think they will be exciting games," he added. "We’re Manchester United and those teams are at our level, and we should be playing teams at our level like this to get ready for next season. 

"It will be a great experience for me and all the team, and I’m looking forward to meeting all the fans there and seeing a new environment."