Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has paid the ultimate compliment to Bruno Fernandes, claiming his impact at Manchester United is similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 26-year-old Portuguese playmaker has certainly made a huge difference at Old Trafford since signing from Sporting CP - the same club where Ronaldo started his career - in January. He's been directly involved in 34 goals in 35 games and also captained the side.
In midweek, Fernandes scored twice against Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League, then let Marcus Rashford takeover penalty duties with United 2-0 up, sacrificing his chance of a hat-trick.
Many have praised his leadership qualities as well as his attacking talent and, when Solskjaer was asked if Fernandes' influence was similar to that of Ronaldo during his peak at Old Trafford, the manager gave a ringing endorsement.
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"He does definitely have that presence [like Ronaldo]," said the Norwegian. "He has that influence and impact on his teammates."
"We can just look at the results since he's come in. He's got lots of energy, leadership; he's a team player, which is a key here now for us going forward."
Solskjaer went on to add that United's current No 18 also boasts a quality that, for a long time, Cristiano Ronaldo was often accused of lacking. That Bruno is happy to accept being rested and rotated from the starting line-up.
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"Some players will have to sit games out and rest," said Solskjaer. "I wasn't looking forward to telling Bruno that he was resting against [RB] Leipzig [in the Champions League], but it was absolutely no problem. Same with Marcus, to be fair.
"Because they know this season is challenging and that's how we build this team and the culture of the team. It's about [the] team and not individuals.
"Bruno has proven that, over and over, that it's a team before I."
Rich praise from the United boss. Fernandes, of course, is a playmaker who takes on a deeper role than his record-breaking Portugal captain, who started as a winger and now plays up front for Juventus.
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But if Solskjaer believes that Bruno can have an equal influence on games and on his teammates as Ronaldo did during his six years at Old Trafford, then United fans have a lot to be excited about.
All imagery: PA Images
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