Rio Ferdinand says he has been taken aback by the influence Christian Eriksen has instilled in the Manchester United team since signing.
The Dane leads the club’s assists chart, recording six so far this season with his latest one teeing up Alejandro Garnacho’s winner against Fulham on Sunday. Fans have quickly taken to the playmaker, who arrived on a free from Brentford in the summer.
Eriksen is about to jet off to Qatar as Denmark take on Tunisia, Australia and champions France at the World Cup, marking an extraordinary 18-month comeback following his on-field cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
READ MORE: Christian Eriksen explains how Manchester United's dressing room reacted to his transfer
He goes into the finals in epic form, having nailed down his starting position in his new deeper-lying role in Erik ten Hag’s side. Ferdinand is the latest United great to hail praise on Eriksen for his impact on the club, who sit fifth in the table going into the break.
He admitted he hadn’t foreseen the midfielder would make himself at home so quickly and identified one aspect in particular he has been most impressed with when speaking on YouTube show FIVE.
“The weight of passes is unreal,” Ferdinand said. “I did not expect him to be so influential, as much as a regular in this team as much as he has been.
“Given the history and well documented of what’s gone on with him, I just didn’t think that would be the case. I’m absolutely delighted the way Eriksen is being used and way he’s taking his time in this team and being one of the most prominent reliable players that we’ve got now.”
Eriksen said he was warmly welcomed when he arrived at Old Trafford and described how the team has a “unity” about it. "It [life at United] has been very nice,” he revealed.
“I myself am new and will find out a lot of different things. And there are always groupings within a team. For example, many people speak Portuguese, while South Americans speak mostly Spanish.
"Some of us speak English, some speak French, but I still think the unity is very nice. Several of them have been here for a long time and know each other well.
“Now I and several others are a bit new here, trying to find our place. But it has been nice, I have been received very well."
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