In a rare moment of honesty from a top-flight footballer, one Man United player has spoken about how difficult his first season at the club was.
It’s only been in the last few months that the Red Devils have seen the best of Fred, since the Brazilian took over the role previously handed to Ander Herrera, and he was the first to acknowledge how difficult it was to settle in at Old Trafford.
“I believe the first season was very difficult for me,” he said in a video interview, cited by the Evening Standard.
“There was the process of settling down here, but also other personal things that were happening in my life, such as the birth of my son.
“So I believe it was a mix of reasons that made me have an awful first season.”
Looking back now, it’s hard to reconcile the initial version of Fred with the one which Man United’s supporters have really taken to now. Indeed, there’s difficulty in trying to imagine a starting XI without the Brazilian in it, such has been his progress over the last few months.
As someone who understands his role perfectly, he, as much as any other player in Ole Gunnar Solakjaer’s squad, can be vital to taking the club forward and back to the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson.