HANNIBAL MEJBRI is tipped to become Manchester United’s next Paul Scholes.
And the acclaim from Mejbri’s former coach Reda Bekhti is just the latest spectacular prediction for the 18-year-old.
Old Trafford legend Nicky Butt believes Mejbri can emulate famous United “leaders” like Scholes, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs.
And ex-Paris FC coach Bekhti believes the Tunisia star needs only to beef up before he can play regularly for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Bekhti told First Time Finish: “The Premier League requires a lot of athleticism and a strong physical capacity.
“He can still grow more muscle. If he passes this milestone and does not pick up any injuries, he will win over [Solskjaer] I am sure.
“He can become a future Paul Scholes at Manchester United.
“He has all the qualities in midfield to become a leader.”
French-born Mejbri has stood out for United’s Under-23s this season after making his senior debut last term.
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Bekhti’s praise is excitingly similar to the words of ex-England midfielder Butt, who spent eight years at United as a player and nine as a coach.
Butt said last year: “‘Leaders are always looked at like a Roy Keane, a Steve Bruce, a Bryan Robson, those kind of verbal, real aggression, real leaders.
“And then you’ve got leaders like Paul Scholes or David Beckham or Ryan Giggs, who’s quiet but really leads by example of how they play and how they work hard.
“We’ve got the old-fashioned leaders, if you like, who are going to talk to the players and drive the team.
“Hannibal’s a leader. The way he plays his football is 100mph, he’s non-stop running up and down.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
