Man United told they have their own Ronaldo example after Everton comeback
Bruno Fernandes scored in United's 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday afternoon
Rio Ferdinand believes only Cristiano Ronaldo can rival Bruno Fernandes' consistency at Manchester United over the last five years as he called on the club's other players to strive for the same levels of performance as the Portugal international.
Fernandes inspired United's comeback at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon after a dire first-half performance saw the Toffees go into the break 2-0 up thanks to goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
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But United earned a share of the points in the final 20 minutes on Merseyside after Fernandes' free-kick halved the deficit before Manuel Ugarte restored parity with a well-taken volley 10 minutes from time. The Portugal international's goal was his 167th goal contribution since joining United from Sporting CP in January 2020.
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And when hailing Fernandes' performance on Saturday afternoon, Ferdinand believes no one in the United ranks has boasted consistency like him over the last five years.
"In the time he's been here I think he's created [chances] as many if not more than any player in the Premier League. He's a fantastic footballer and he's been unfortunate he's just been around a team that hasn't been able to perform because he's kept his side of the bargain," said Ferdinand.
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"His standards have been kept. Probably one of the only players, maybe himself and Cristiano Ronaldo maybe are the only players who actually played anywhere near the standard that's been expected of them and he's continued that throughout his whole Man United [career].
"That's a testament, I think, to the mindset. But I think no matter how good you are you need help and he hasn't had enough of that."
As well as scoring a free-kick on Saturday, Fernandes had the most touches of any player on the pitch, completed the most passes and won the third-highest number of tackles.
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In August, Fernandes signed a new three-year deal with United and will remain a key part of Ruben Amorim's squad in the years to come.