22-year-old Andreas Pereira has excited Manchester United fans due to all the promise he’s displayed while filling in for the injured Nemanja Matic. He showcased his all of his potential during his full Premier League debut in the season opening victory over Leicester City.
Pereira retained his starting place with the Red Devils midfield today when they kicked off on the south coast against Brighton & Hove Albion. He line up in the holding, central midfield role with Paul Pogba on the left and summer transfer window addition Fred on the right.
This week, Pereira publicly opened up on why he forced a loan move to Valencia last summer, against the wishes of his manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho has now, rather grudgingly, accepted the decision of the Brazilian international (who was born in Belgium) as the right call. The Portugese noted the player’s growth and development, in an interview with MUTV.
Although Mourinho still maintains that Pereira could have learned more and possibly developed even faster, had he stayed at United. However,
“I think with Andreas it was a good process for him,” Mourinho said.
“If he stayed here last season probably what is happening now to him could probably happen one season ago. But the decision to have one more loan was not a bad decision, especially from a human point of view.
“By the football point of view, he could probably even have had a better evolution here than he had at Valencia. But by the human point of view I see he has become more of a man.”
Obviously when Matic returns he’ll resume his place in the starting XI, but Pereira has shown what he can do, and that added depth is certainly beneficial as the long season goes on.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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