Former England coach Glenn Hoddle believes Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are developing an exciting partnership for Manchester United.
Discussing United's title credentials after Friday's victory over Aston Villa saw them move into second place on the Premier League table, with Liverpool leaders on goal difference, Hoddle touched on the understanding between Fernandes and Rashford that is now developing.
Hoddle was at King Power stadium last week to see United draw 2-2 at Leicester City and was able to take a close look at Fernandes. And the Tottenham great says Rashford visibly comes alive when Fernandes is in possession.
Discussing what he saw from Fernandes at Leicester, Hoddle said on his podcast, 'The Glenn Hoddle Footy Show': "He plays in that No10 role - but he doesn't play in there, he arrives in there. He's very shrewd in the way he plays it. He has license to go up the pitch and he gets marked by defenders, but he slides into them, but defenders can't follow him. So he ends up being a thorn in the midfield's side because the defenders can't pick him up because he's coming off the shoulder of the deepest midfield player of the opposition.
"So he can pick up great positions. He can drift left, he can drift right. He has free rein to pick up the ball anywhere on the pitch - and things happen off him."
Indeed, Hoddle says seeing United perform live, he could witness how Rashford would launch his runs off the ball when Fernandes was in possession against Leicester.
He continued: "More and more, I see Rashford come alive when Fernandes is on the ball. He starts to make some great runs. He knows the ball is going to be delivered.
"I was watching him and Rashford was standing still for a lot of the time. He probably looked at the player who was on the ball at the time and he knew it wasn't going to come.
"(But) as soon as it went into Fernandes, as soon as he had his head up, he's on his bike and was making great runs from out to in and down the centre as well off a diagonal.
"Yeah, they have a nice little relationship, what I call 'eye contact' between a midfield player and a striker. That's certainly grown.
"It's really, really looking good now."
So far this season, Rashford has scored 14 goals from 25 games for United, while Fernandes has 15 goals from 24 appearances.
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