BBC pundit Martin Keown has lavished praise on Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes after playing a key role in his side’s win over Liverpool in the FA Cup last night.

The Portuguese international came off the bench to score the winner with a perfectly placed freekick. After the match, Keown said that the player’s creativity and strong mentality reminded him of United legend Eric Cantona:

“I remember man-marking Eric Cantona on my England debut in 1992 and battling with him in the Premier League. Cantona unlocked the door for Manchester United’s success in his five seasons at the club. He and Bruno Fernandes are clearly different types of player, but Fernandes is having that Cantona effect. Team-mates are following his lead. Every time Fernandes gets the ball, he tries to make something happen. That’s his mentality.”

It is certainly a big claim by Keown but there is no doubt that Fernandes has already become a talismanic figure for the Red Devils, in a similar vein to Cantona. There is, of course, a long way to go to compare the two in terms of trophies at Old Trafford.

Even so, the remarkable impact that Fernandes has made during his first year at United means there is every chance that he will go on to achieve great things at the club, as long as he has the right players around him.