Man Utd have found their new Wayne Rooney for Ten Hag in Fernandes

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praises squad for Barcelona win

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Manchester United have been told that within Erik ten Hag’s squad they have a player showing similar traits that Wayne Rooney had during his hugely-successful time at the club. The Red Devils advanced past Barcelona on Thursday in the Europa League and next face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final as the Dutch boss aims to win his first piece of silverware since moving to Old Trafford in the summer.

United are the only English side that remain in all four competitions and have been partly led by the leadership of Bruno Fernandes, who has captained the team on several occasions this season when club skipper Harry Maguire has not been on the pitch.

Former United striker Robin van Persie returned to the club this week and made an exciting Fernandes comparison after the 2-1 victory over Barcelona. “It shows as well that Fernandes plays on the wing, and great players do that for the team,” Van Persie told BT Sport.

“Rooney did it as well in his time, many times, on the wing. It’s like when you are a great player, you are a team player. When the team needs you on the wing, then he does that.”

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Fernandes has played on the right flank in recent weeks to allow Wout Weghorst, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford all at times to operate in central areas. However, Ten Hag changed the game against Barcelona by moving the Portuguese playmaker to his favoured number 10 role, bringing Antony off the bench to play on the right with Sancho on the left and Rashford up front.

United icon Paul Scholes, on the panel with Van Persie on Thursday, agreed with the former striker regarding his comparison between Fernandes and Rooney and highlighted the “sacrifice” that the ex-England captain made to aid the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at the club.

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“In the first half [against Barcelona] I don’t think it worked particularly well,” Scholes added. “We know Bruno will sacrifice himself to play out there. Sancho was playing in a little bit of a different position – OK, he came on on Sunday and did ok there – but he’s not comfortable there, he wants to be out in the wider spaces.

“Sacrifice is what it is all about in these big games. You mention Wayne Rooney. He did it so many times to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo and just bringing that anticipation and quality to the team that Bruno has, wherever he plays in the team, he is capable of creating a goal.”

Whether Ten Hag will continue to use Fernandes out wide remains to be seen, but the 28-year-old’s willingness to sacrifice similarly to Rooney will only further prove to the Dutch boss that he is captain material at Old Trafford.

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