Manchester United midfielder Fred has heaped special praise on academy graduate James Garner and believes the teenager has a huge career ahead with the Red Devils.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has introduced a number of young players from the academy during his first full season in charge and Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have made the best impact.
Garner has not had a similar influence with the first-team squad due to the fierce competition for places in the midfield but he has certainly excited Fred, who has watched him closely in training.
“All are very good – they are not in this profession for nothing – but the player who impresses me most is Jimmy Garner,” he told Brazilian outlet Trivela.
“Not just because he is in the same position as me, but because he is a player who has an impressive vision of the game, and he has a huge future for United.
“In addition to his impressive game vision, he always plays with his head up, has an impressive shot and is an incredible passer. He is a player that I admire a lot.”
The 19-year-old is primarily a defensive midfielder by trade and he has managed seven appearances for United this term – out of which two have come from the bench in the Premier League.
At present, the chances are slim that he could break regularly into the starting XI, particularly with the competition from the likes of Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay and Fred himself.
Matic, 31, will likely be replaced at some point in the future and it is up to Garner to prove that he can succeed the Serbian by making most of the playing time offered in the Cup competitions.
Garner has made three starts for the Red Devils this term. All of them came during the Europa League group stage where Solskjaer opted to rotate his squad extensively.
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