Manchester United midfielder Fred has talked up the impact January arrival Bruno Fernandes has had since joining the club.

The Portugal international has hit the ground running at Old Trafford, scoring three goals and creating four more in nine appearances across all competitions.

Fernandes's arrival contributed to an 11-game unbeaten streak for United before play was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Fred has credited him with bringing a calming influence to the team.

"We were going through a very good phase. We were in a growing phase. We were doing very well in the Premier League, very well in the Europa League. We would have a chance to be champions (of the Europa League) before the stop," Fred told Trivela.

"But I believe that our group got together a lot [more] at the end, we started helping each other with a different view of the game and we grew up on the pitch. We started to get better together, and Bruno Fernandes' arrival was important for us, giving a calm change to our midfield. But we must also give credit to Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] and to our entire group, because we were on a very, very good rise.

"Bruno Fernandes is a very important player, he arrived and gave an 'up' in our squad. He is a player with a lot of ambition but I believe that every player who plays for Manchester United needs to have this ambition to want to win, to be victorious, because it is a gigantic club.

"We always have to think about the titles, the victories. He arrived very well, helped us a lot and, for sure, he is an inspiration to be followed. I'm sure he will still grow a lot within United."

United currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.