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'I'd like to leave a legacy at Man Utd' - Fred eager to 'make history' at Old Trafford after reaching 100 games
The Brazilian wants to earn a place in the Red Devils' hall of fame after bringing up his ton against West Brom at the weekend
Fred says he's eager to "leave a legacy" and "make history" at Manchester United after reaching 100 games at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian brought up a century of appearances for the Red Devils during their 1-1 draw against West Brom at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon.
Fred has established himself as a key member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad after a slow start to life in Manchester, and he is hoping to go on and earn a place in the club's hall of fame after hitting a "great landmark".
What was said?
Asked to describe his emotions after featuring in his 100th game for the Red Devils, the 27-year-old told the Inside United magazine: “I’m really happy.
“It represents a great landmark for me, it’s what everyone aims for.
“Ah man, I wasn’t even expecting this. It took me by surprise when you just told me now. I’m really pleased. It’s a great landmark, and as I said I hope I can play many more games for United.
“I’d like to leave a legacy here. It’s somewhere all players want to be, so I look to do my best, play in many more games and make history here.”
Fred's resurgence at Man Utd
Fred completed a £52 million ($72m) move to Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018, but initially struggled to adapt to his new surroundings under Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese publicly questioned the midfielder's fitness levels before being relieved of his managerial duties mid-way through the season, and his fortunes didn't improve much when Solskjaer was drafted in as his replacement.
Fred continued to play a bit-part role in the squad right up until the very end of his first term on United's books, before being heavily linked with a move away from the club amid reported interest from Fiorentina.
However, Solskjaer decided to keep hold of the ex-Shakhtar star, and was rewarded for his faith in him throughout the 2019-20 campaign, which saw him appear in 48 games for the Red Devils as they reached three semi-finals and secured a top-four Premier League finish.
Fred has been equally as impressive this season, and his continued presence could be vital as United chase down honours in both domestic and European competitions.
What's next?
Fred will be back in contention for a place in Solskjaer's starting XI when the Red Devils take on Real Sociedad in the first leg of their round of 32 Europa League tie against Real Sociedad on Thursday.
The Brazil international added on the importance of winning that clash: “We know to expect a difficult game, but we’re going for the win.
“We want to win the Europa League. We know how important it is to us, so we’ll do our best in the game and have our best season in the Europa League so we can lift the trophy.”