Former Newcastle player Alan Shearer has explained how Bruno Fernandes has transformed Manchester United since he joined the club.
The Portugal international has been United’s outstanding player since making the move to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in January.
His form before football’s three-month hiatus saw him win the Premier League’s player of the month award for February, and he has picked up where he left off since the top tier’s restart.
Fernandes has received plaudits for his link up with Paul Pogba in particular, with the pair proving influential in United’s games against Tottenham and Sheffield United.
And speaking to the BBC ahead of United's FA Cup quarter-final against Norwich City, Shearer went into detail on how Fernandes has helped United find a new level.
“He has made a huge difference,” Shearer said. “We were well aware of how Man United would like to play, they’re a counter-attacking team, and they were very good at it with the pace that they have.
“But this guy has brought so much class going forward. They were a safe team, they didn’t have that midfielder to unlock the defence of teams, when they wish to sit deep in numbers, they didn’t have anyone to produce that killer pass.
“This is the difference now. They used to go right, push it along and teams can get numbers back. Now, he can produce the killer pass and the risky pass.
“He’s had 10 starts, he’s got four goals himself and four assists, because of the class passes he can pick out.
“He keeps everything flowing and moving forward, and he’s making the players ahead of him better players. They’re creating more chances, they’re scoring more goals because of this.
“He pings it in and fizzes it in, and that’s what you want as a forward. He’s added so much more going forward to Manchester United because of that vision.
“For a centre-forward, it’s brilliant because when you’re making those runs, you want the ball to be delivered, and if it’s not you perhaps stop making them.
“Now he’s got so many options ahead of him because of that.”
