Amid Scott McTominay’s impending departure from Manchester United, his old midfield partner put on a show to remember earlier this week.
Fred scored his first ever career hat-trick in action for Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, with his side recording a stunning 5-0 win.
The Brazilian’s three-goal haul raised plenty of eyebrows for Manchester fans. Fred took two full seasons to score three goals for the Red Devils, and here he was, netting the same figure in just 90 minutes.
Over in Turkey, Fred has become somewhat of a lucky charm at Fenerbahce, But even so, he scored just three goals for the club the whole of last season.
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Fred wins rave reviews
Fred’s remarkable impact in the Turkish Super Lig win over Rizespor has prompted plenty of discussion in the country.
Former international winger Nihat Kahveci told Haber: “Such players are rare, Fenerbahce is a great luxury to have such a player. In return, he made everyone happy with the [first] hat-trick he made in his career.”
Kahveci suggested Jose Mourinho’s tactics were the real reason behind Fred’s sudden impact.
He said: “I don’t know if there will be another match like this in his career, if he will score 3 goals, but when Mourinho gave Fred this freedom… when you think of a Fred who was next to Dzeko in every position he entered the opponent’s penalty area… we will see many goals from Fred.”
He saved further praise for Fred’s character and ability, adding: “He was always positive on the field. He is smart, agile, and moral. He is such a good player.”
Fred’s hat-trick secret
Fred scored six goals in his final season at Manchester United, the best return of his career in a single season. Now he will be disappointed if he does not surpass this, after hitting three goals by the end of August.
He has a secret behind his sudden improvement, and it’s a little more straightforward than a tactical explanation.
Fred attributes his hat-trick to his shirt number, having switched before the game to 13.
Quoted by Turkiye Gazetesi, Fred explained: “In Brazil, it is believed that this number brings luck. I talked to my wife about this.
“She also loves the number 13 jersey. I scored a hat-trick in the first match I made this change. I hope it continues like this.”
And that’s all Manchester United needed to do when he signed back in 2018.
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