Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has saluted “brilliant” Bruno Fernandes’ impact in his first year at Manchester United.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the Portugal midfielder’s arrival from Sporting Lisbon.
Nobody has scored more for a Premier League club than Fernandes since his debut in January last year.
He has bagged 28 goals in all competitions and provided 17 assists to transform United from underachievers into Premier League title contenders.
The 26-year-old saw off Liverpool with a superb free-kick in last weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round clash and turned his attention to keeping United in the title hunt when they faced Arsenal yesterday.
“Brilliant,” Solskjaer said of Fernandes’ impact. “From Day 1, he’s come in and wanted to affect the environment, the playing environment, and the staff. He’s been a great addition.”
“He’s such a humble human being, working hard and I think everyone has seen what he’s done on the pitch,” Solskjaer said. “Very pleased with his first year and long may it continue.”
“The higher up in the league, the more pressure there will be on us and on him,” Solskjaer added. “Now the limelight is on him, but I’m sure he’ll handle that pressure fine.”
“He’s a winner,” he added. “He’s not just going to let a game pass away and talk about it after. He wants to affect it there and then.”
Solskjaer has been impressed by the single-minded focus of Fernandes, whose transformative impact on United has been likened to that of French forward Eric Cantona in the 1990s.
“Bruno has come in and helped the team, no doubt about that,” the United boss said. “He’s come in at a time when we needed his type of player and Bruno came into a team that makes his attributes and skills come to fruition.”
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