Marouane Fellaini “has improved from last season”, says Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, with the versatile Belgian typifying the spirit required at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are enduring a testing time at present, with a three-game run without a win seeing pressure piled on all concerned.
United need everybody to start pulling in the same direction, with talk of unrest and divides behind the scenes doing nobody any favours.
Mourinho believes Fellaini is among those setting the most positive example, with the Portuguese having always been a big fan of a much-maligned 30-year-old who has never let him down.
The United manager told MUTV: “I am very happy with him.
“He is one of the players that has improved from last season.
“He’s playing well in different positions. You can feel his commitment, his heart and his happiness to be at the club, and to stay at the club, and to play for the club.
“Clearly, he is showing that famous thing of the team being more important than one of us and he has sacrificed himself for the team.
“He is being more defensive in some matches and then being almost like a striker in others, like he was in the last match [at Old Trafford against Derby] when we needed a goal and we had one player less.
“I’m really happy with Marouane’s stability and performances.”
Fellaini signed a new two-year contract with United in June which includes the option for a further 12-month extension.
It had appeared at one stage as though he would be moving on, having reached the end of his previous deal, but his value to the Red Devils’ cause under Mourinho helped to convince him to stay put.
After committing to fresh terms, the former Everton man can now continue to edge ever closer to 200 appearances for United – with another 35 outings required to hit that mark.