Roy Keane defends Fred in surprising U-turn after Manchester United win vs Leeds

Roy Keane has admitted that Manchester United midfielder Fred has proved him wrong in recent months.

The ex- United captain has made his views on the midfield department at Old Trafford quite clear this season.

Fred has cropped up with a number of important goals since Ralf Rangnick took charge, scoring the first of the interim boss' tenure against Crystal Palace as well as his side's third at Elland Road on Sunday.

Having lambasted the Brazilian at times this season, Keane took the opportunity to praise the impact Fred has made since Rangnick was appointed.

"Fred, to be fair, he's improved over the last couple of months. Fred's been criticised, yeah, by Robbie [Keane]," he joked on Sky Sports' Super Sunday coverage.

"He's added a couple of goals, a couple of assists. About time for him."

Keane's comments represent quite a turnaround from his assessment of Fred and United's midfield earlier this season.

The Sky Sports pundit recently claimed the Brazil international's lack of an outstanding attribute was holding United back and that none of his former side's midfielders would make it into the starting XIs of some of the best teams in the Premier League.

He said: "Sometimes I think if you’re going to play in midfield for a big club, you’ve got to hang your hat on something to say 'well he’s brilliant at going forward' or 'he’s brilliant defensively' or 'he’s got a goal in him' or 'he’s great at'… I don’t see any of them in Fred [or] any of them.

"I think [Scott] McTominay is in with a chance of being a player. [Nemanja] Matic, ah you know… would any of these get into the Manchester City team? Or Liverpool or Chelsea? I don’t see it, so I wouldn’t know the combination."

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