Ex-Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic has been impressed with new centre-back Eric Bailly.
Nemanja Vidic proving his mettle against Southampton’s Victor Wanyama
Eric Bailly has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season after joining Premier League giants Manchester United from La Liga side Villarreal.
Bailly’s reported £30 million fee raised a number of eyebrows in the summer, but following an assured start to the season, with three Man-of-the-Match performances in his first four games, the 22-year-old Ivorian has made his fee look a bargain in an highly inflated transfer market.
So much so, that former Manchester United legend, Nemanja Vidic, has welcomed comparisons to the young centre-back, telling the United Review “It’s nice to hear and, from what I’ve seen, he is a very good player,”
“If he keeps going as he is, he will definitely have a great career at United… Of course, I’m glad that someone compares him to me and I hope he will be a player who does very well for us.
“He’s strong and composed with the ball. He’s a very confident player. He has a bit of everything. What I have seen in the first few matches is that we have a great player for the future and a player I would say we needed. He reads the game well. He already looks a big signing for us.”
Manchester United’s Eric Bailly in action with Hull City’s Abel Hernandez
“I think he’s already popular with the fans. Of the signings we’ve had this year, I think he’s the one that has surprised everyone the most. He’s 22 years old and he went straight into the club and looks at home straight away. That’s outstanding for me. We know how many players come to England and need time to adapt and that, for me, is what is so impressive – he’s 22 and he has adapted straight away and showed some confidence which is important.”
United fans will be hoping that their new centre-back can provide the defensive solidity that Vidic instilled during his eight year stay in Manchester. Whilst Eric Bailly has already got a FA Community Shield medal to his name, he has a long way to go to emulate Vidic’s impressive haul of five Premier Leagues, five Community shields, three League cups and a Champions League winners medal.
Nemanja Vidic at Manchester United
Vidic is aware that Bailly is still learning his trade, and went on to offer the Ivorian some advice for the future. Vidic suggested “The most important thing for a player of his age is to keep his feet on the ground… The first few matches he really performed well and had so many compliments from everyone, but it’s important to stay calm, keep doing what he was doing before and keep improving. If he continues to play like he does and stays focused, he can be here for many years and help the team be successful.”
It seems that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has unearthed an exciting but raw gem in Eric Bailly, but only time will tell if the youngster can justify his comparisons to Premier League legend, Nemanja Vidic, and whether he can provide the same stability the Serbian imprinted when he signed for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side a decade ago.
Leicester City’s Islam Slimani in action with Manchester United’s Eric Bailly
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