Bruno Fernandes is "transformed" when he steps onto a football pitch according to a former Sporting Lisbon teammate, who adds that his will to win can match that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The midfielder followed in the footsteps of Ronaldo when he moved to Manchester United from the Portuguese capital in January, and he had begun impressively before football was halted amid the coronavirus crisis.
United fans have already taken the 25-year-old to their hearts, and Sporting forward Luiz Phellype isn't surprised that he's hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
"He is calm off the field, but inside it is transformed, the Brazilian told A Bola.
"Bruno Fernandes is like Cristiano Ronaldo, when he loses he can’t talk to anyone.
"It didn’t surprise me [that he started so well]. People think the Portuguese league is weak, but it is not true.
"The physical and tactical level is very high. Whoever stands out here, manages to stand out in other championships."
Comparisons have been made between Fernandes and United legend Paul Scholes, but United coach and Scholes' former teammate Michael Carrick says it is too soon to put labels on the Portuguese.
"‘He’s got great qualities," the club's former midfielder told MUTV recently.
"I think it’s a little bit unfair in some ways to compare him to Scholesy, for both of them.
"They’re both individuals and sometimes it’s a bit too easy to tag someone to a former player. Bruno is his own player and has great attributes.
"He’s made such a difference and it can be a tough club to come into and make a big impact straightaway."
