Manchester United legend Denis Irwin hailed Nemanja Vidic after their win at Aston Villa.

After neutralising the threat offered by England hitman Darren Bent, the commanding centre-back can be well pleased with another excellent performance.

When asked by MUTV if Vidic is the best defender in the game, Irwin replied: "He wouldn't be far off. I've played with some fantastic players - Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Jaap Stam.

"I think the central defensive partnership we've got at the moment is as good as any and Vidic is probably the best centre-half there is. I think Vidic is better than Stam, I've got to say. He's cleverer than Jaap, who was lightning quick, really quick, but Vida has got a bit more about him and knows what's going on around him.

"He dovetails very well with Rio, who is the better footballer. It's like Bruce and Pally when Bruce was the one who got stuck in, like Vidic. I think he's got more awareness than Jaap, even though they're two fantastic players.

"When you get a raft of 1-0 wins, the centre-half gets the spotlight for a change. Nine times out of 10, it's the centre-forward. But Vidic is our captain and, if we defend right and don't concede, with the quality of players we've got going forward, we'll score goals."