Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Anderson for filling the void left by Paul Scholes' injury.
Brazilian has adapted quickly to English football
Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Anderson for filling the void left by Paul Scholes' injury.
Scholes is likely to be out until the New Year with a knee injury he picked up in training before United's UEFA Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev back in October, but he has hardly been missed due to Anderson's recent form.
The Brazilian arrived at Old Trafford in the summer from Porto in a £19million deal and has given Ferguson's side a new dimension in midfield.
His ability to adapt to life in the Premier League so quickly may have surprised some, but his manager believes that he is merely fulfilling the potential which the club knew he had after agreeing the deal with the Portuguese champions at the end of last season.
Superb
"Anderson has been absolutely superb," Ferguson said.
"The boy has definitely got something special.
"There was an urgency to get him once we'd scouted him, even though he had broken his leg and had been out for four or five months.
"The reports we were getting were saying that he was the best young player in the world.
"I knew he had real potential but I didn't want to put labels on him like that.
"But we have been delighted with him and he has proven himself to be a true central midfield player.
"He can tackle, he is lightening quick, he's brave and he can pass the ball.
"What he's got to prove is his goalscoring ability because that's something that Scholesy has always given us."
Dominated
Ferguson even believes that his new star is better than Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas after leaving the Spaniard in the shade during the 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last month.
"Anderson's battle with Cesc Fabregas against Arsenal was interesting because they were two very influential players in the game," he said.
"The boy Fabregas is going through a golden period at Arsenal, but I thought that Anderson dominated that position."
