“I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt since moving to England,” Brazilian midfielder Fred tells The Athletic with an enthusiastic smile after Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.



“All I ever wanted was to play regularly and now that I’m doing that, there’s no doubt my confidence is higher and that helps any player.”



“Feeling better” is perhaps not all that difficult after a first season in the Premier League which resulted in the 26-year-old becoming a comic punchline among fans of rival clubs, and a source of ire for pundits with United leanings — such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane.



Big things had been expected of Fred, who arrived at Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in June 2018. Yet he failed to shine in a side that limped to sixth place in the final Premier League table — the club had only once finished lower than that in the previous 28...