Manchester United legend Gary Neville has praised midfielder Bruno Fernandes for his performances since he arrived at Old Trafford eleven months ago.

The Portuguese international has already been given a leadership role by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Neville says the level of impact he has had on the squad is not dissimilar to that of Wayne Rooney or even Eric Cantona:

“I think he’s a special player. You’ve seen players that have come to Manchester United over the last probably 10, 15 years, I don’t think anyone has had as big an impact in such a short space of time as him. Maybe Rooney, maybe Cantona, those types of names, I think he’s had a similar impact too.”

That is some statement by Neville, but you only have to look at Fernandes’s numbers since arriving from Sporting Lisbon to see how effective he has been. In just 33 appearances for the Red Devils, the 26-year-old has already scored 18 goals and contributed 13 assists.

He has even usurped Paul Pogba to become the club’s key playmaker, while he has shown to be a strong character both on and off the pitch. Whether he will leave a lasting legacy like Rooney or Cantona, though, we shall have to wait and see, but his initial impact cannot be doubted.