Former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce says Jonny Evans has been key in their title surge.
Bruce believes unsung Evans should get just as much credit as Paul Scholes.
"They have missed Nemanja Vidic but Jonny Evans has now played over 20 league games and has very quietly done extremely well," he told the Manchester Evening News.
"He's only 23, he's played in big games and has handled himself brilliantly.
"Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have got all the headlines because they've had a meteoric rise, but I think Jonny Evans has done particularly well in filling the gap left by Vidic.