Fred vows to hit Man Utd goals trail and hails Bruno Fernandes influence

Brazilian midfielder Fred has rarely offered a serious goal threat in his Manchester United career, but he insists that is about to change.

A February double from Fred against Club Brugge in the Europa League took manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by surprise.

Fred is certain he can unlock his goalscoring potential at Manchester United now he has Bruno Fernandes as a midfield partner.

The Brazilian midfielder has struggled to find the net in his United career, scoring in a September 2018 draw against Wolves before waiting almost 18 months for his next goals to arrive.

A February double from Fred against Club Brugge in the Europa League took manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by surprise, with the Norwegian declaring afterwards: "I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be alive the next time he scored a goal."

Solskjaer said the lack of goals had been an "ongoing joke", but Fred has warned he will be ready to present as a regular threat to opposition when football resumes.

United showed greater fluidity after Fernandes joined in January from Sporting CP and Fred feels it is time he looks to boost his personal goals tally.

"I hope so as it's always important to score goals. I've been working on it and, with Bruno's arrival, we've got someone who gives us more freedom, given his quality with the ball at his feet," Fred told United's website.

"So I hope to attack and score more goals and work hard on my finishing to score more goals in a season. I'm certain that, with Bruno's arrival, more goals will come."

He added: "My favourite role is where I've been playing. As a second central midfielder, defending solidly but also getting forward and looking to score goals."

He said of the Brugge breakthrough game: "Up until then, I'd been playing well but I hadn't been scoring. I think scoring in that game was the crowning achievement of all the hard work I'd been putting in this season."