Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could build his Manchester United side around Scott McTominay, says former player Rio Ferdinand.
McTominay starred as United beat Watford 1-0 to book their spot in the next round of the FA Cup.
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He headed home the only goal of the game on a night that he captained his boyhood club.
And speaking after United's victory, Ferdinand hailed the Scotland international while claiming Solskjaer could build the team around the 24-year-old midfielder.
"You can see in the way he conducts himself but more importantly the way he plays out on the pitch he's wholehearted. He covers the ground well, he takes responsibility in situations and you need all that as a captain," he said during his appearance on BT Sport.
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"You need to be somebody who people can look at and he seems to have those sort of traits.
"He has the credentials to be a mainstay in this team and be an important member of this team for years and years to come because of the way he applies himself."
Ferdinand added: "It's not just about footballing ability sometimes, there's more to it than that, your mental capacity to take things on board but also the ability to accept responsibility and be the man that people look to for inspiration.
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"He's almost certainly now become one of the main players in that midfield area and he's someone I think Ole could build around.
"He's not the one who you'd say is the most imaginative or the person you'd say has got the most skills, but there's other things that he brings to the game that other players don't bring, that intensity, that work rate, the effort, and importantly the responsibility he takes on."
McTominay has played regularly under Solskjaer this season, scoring four goals in all competitions as United resume their Premier League campaign on Tuesday against Burnley.
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A point would see them move above Liverpool to top of the table.
Featured Image Credit: BT Sport/PATopics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand, scott mctominay, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
