Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has received glowing praise ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The Portuguese playmaker enters the tournament as one of the most influential attacking midfielders in world football and will carry huge expectations on his shoulders.
Few players possess the ability to completely transform a match with a single moment of brilliance quite like Fernandes.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has described Fernandes as “incredible” for his consistency over the years.
He told The Athletic: “In the three years that I’ve been here in the national team, his consistency levels have been incredible. Everything that he does in the final third has been of the highest level.
“Now I’m delighted that he gets recognition, not just from the players, because that’s something that you can feel straight away in the PFA awards, but also from the writers and the Premier League in general.
“Obviously, breaking that record over one season to get 21 assists, knocking (off) Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry, that’s creating a historic memory.”
Fernandes set to create magic for Portugal
The 52-year-old manager is expected to continue using his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the tournament.
That system places Fernandes in his favourite number 10 role where he enjoys complete freedom to influence games.
Operating behind Cristiano Ronaldo could once again prove to be a devastating combination for Portugal.
While Ronaldo may be approaching the final stages of his legendary career, he remains one of the most ruthless finishers in world football.
The United captain will also benefit from playing alongside one of the strongest midfield units in international football.
Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fernandes offer the perfect balance of creativity, energy, intelligence and technical quality.
One statistic worth watching closely throughout the World Cup will be Fernandes’ assist tally.
He recently broke the Premier League assist record and will aim to replicate that level of creativity on the international stage.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com