Vidic Praises Youngsters But Urges Caution

Nemanja Vidic has been extremely impressed with the emergence of some promising young Manchester United defenders this season, with the former captain emphasising just how much more difficult it is for budding stars to settle in the backline rather than attack.

The likes of Tim Fosu-Mensah, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Joe Riley, Donald Love, Regan Poole, Guillermo Varela, Axel Tuanzebe and Ro-Shaun Williams have all being in the first-team squad to cover defensive positions this term.

Vidic, one of the club's stalwarts of the past, says it's vital to monitor the youngsters' development, including those in attack, namely Marcus Rashford - who netted his seventh goals in 12 games against Aston Villa on Saturday - and Anthony Martial who have both been superb this season. But Vidic insists it's particularly important for inexperienced defenders to be well supported when they make the step up to the first team.

"I think it’s more difficult for defenders, especially when you have three or four of them playing together in the same match. For the young players who come in up front, you need that energy, imagination, happiness… you can let them play and be more free, but, in defence, I think you need someone who can lead these young boys," he explained in an exclusive interview with MUTV.

"United have always brought youngsters into the team and of course they have ability, they have shown that in the games they’ve played but, when you want to win the trophies, you have to patient with them. You have to give them the right matches, develop them slowly so you can think about keeping them there for many years.

"It’s a longer process not just for the defenders but even for attackers," he added. "You have to be careful how you develop them. You have to accept that Manchester United always need to win trophies and when the club don’t, players have to accept some criticism and that can be hard for the younger ones to take. They need some experienced players to take that weight off their backs."

One of the Reds' most consistent performers this term has been Vidic's former team-mate Chris Smalling, who played his 200th game for United on Saturday. And he's a player the Serbian admires greatly.

"I’ve always loved Chris. I love him because he’s a defender. His mentality is that he likes to defend," declared Vidic, who played alongside the England international during his time at Old Trafford.

"I believe he can still improve but he is physically strong and, as I said, he likes to defend which, for me, is very important. You don’t see many players nowadays who like to defend, there are not many in the world. That’s his big ability."