Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has hailed the impact made by Nemanja Vidic this season.

''He has been such an influence. He is the envy of the whole league and he has been a brilliant player for us,'' United director Charlton told ESPN. ''Nemanja is unbelievable in the air. He wins absolutely everything. He is so powerful and brave.

''He has a fantastic leap to get above the strikers. He also comes up for set-pieces and scores goals. As a defender he makes the full-backs, the goalkeeper and the midfielders in front of him all feel secure.

''He is a player you can depend on and put your trust in, and that is important. I like that he doesn't try to do too much, he sticks to his task of defending, and does that job very well.''