Manchester United full-back Alex Telles has credited team-mate, and fellow compatriot, Fred, after the midfielder’s fine performances both domestically and in European competitions over the past few weeks. In an exclusive interview featured in the club’s official match-day programme, Telles insisted in his native Brazil players like Fred are given special titles due to their superb work on the field.
Alex Telles said: “In Brazil, we call players like this motorzinhos. They are the team’s engine, playing deep and looking to recover the ball. I think he had a key role in the game against Villarreal – the two goals we scored came from Fred’s ball recoveries. We know how important he is for the team and I’m really happy for him.”
Fred has often been heavily criticised by large sections of the Reds faithful, with some of his early season performances coming under scrutiny as United fell away following defeats against Liverpool, Leicester and Manchester City. But with Telles insisting Fred’s qualities are key to United’s success, the former Porto defender has hailed his compatriot’s tireless running, too.
Alex Telles added: “He’s a player with a quality that I like, he’s someone who runs for the team. He doesn’t just think about his own position, he thinks about the positioning of numerous other players, and he’s always running and covering various positions.”
