Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has previously described Antonio Conte as "one of the best" managers in football.
Reports suggest the Italian coach could replace under pressure Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the coming weeks.
Discussing Conte with Tuttosport in December 2019, Matic said: "He is crazy about football. He works 24 hours a day, analyses their players and opponents to the fullest.
"Tactically he is certainly one of the best in the world."
Speculation about Solskjaer's future has emerged following United's humiliating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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It's believed the Manchester club won't sack the Norwegian at this moment in time but may if results don't improve in the near future.
Conte is one of the favourites to replace Solskjaer, although some United chiefs are reportedly concerned he's not the right fit for the club.
Matic was a crucial part of Conte's Chelsea team during the 2016-17 campaign, playing 35 Premier League games to help them win the title.
The Serbian made a surprise switch to Old Trafford at the end of that season and, initially, was a regular under former manager Jose Mourinho.
But Matic has slipped down the pecking order under Solskjaer, making just 33 Premier League starts since the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
The player added in 2019: "At the physical level he makes his team run at the same levels for 95 minutes. A professional, one of the best in the world."
Conte is currently a free agent after leaving Inter Milan in May, just days after guiding the Italian giants to their first Serie A title in 11 years.
He's also previously coached the Italian national team and won three consecutive Serie A titles at Juventus but has never been in charge of a club for more than three years.
And Matic isn't the only United favourite to have confessed his appreciation for Conte. Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson did the same in 2017.
Fergie told Sky Sports: "You see his energy on the pitch. There's a true saying that the team mirrors the manager, and that's what they've done with him."
Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, who is also a free agent, has also been linked with the United job but is reportedly not interested.
Gary Neville, meanwhile, has urged the Red Devils to keep faith with Solskjaer until the end of the season and not appoint Conte.
He told Sky Sports: "Jose was the best manager in the world and couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t bring Conte in to United. He’s not a fit for United.
"I might be wrong but I don't think that he is. I think it would be wrong to sack Ole today. I sacked a manager after six games last season, it was the wrong thing to do, I should’ve let things breathe."
Fellow United Peter Schmeichel also has his doubts about Conte. He told The Times : "You can say, 'Conte is brilliant.' But he doesn’t stay anywhere for more than a couple of years?
"We are not that football club. We tried that already. It doesn’t work.
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"Louis van Gaal didn’t win the Premier League, Mourinho didn’t. You say Conte or another name, it’s no difference. It’s about them and what they want to do in a small window of Manchester United ’s big history.
"The problem Ole has is that in this world of quick fixes and fast news he has to win yesterday. It has to be delivered now.
"But it’s not the real world. We stopped that development for a period and our competitors closed the gap then ran away."
