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Manchester United summer signing Eric Bailly is on the 30-man shortlist for the African Footballer of the Year Award 2016.

The defender, signed from Villarreal to bolster Jose Mourinho 's defence, has been a revelation during his first few months at the club and is yet to miss a Premier League game.

His partnership with Daley Blind left last season's Players' Player of the Year, Chris Smalling, struggling to force his way into the senior side.

Smalling said of the new recruit: "He’s very physically imposing as well and really easy to play alongside - Nemanja was one of those defenders who was very aggressive, very dominant and took no nonsense. Eric plays the same way. He can go through a tackle and he doesn’t take risks.

"If it needs to go, it goes! You can see the similarities there and I expect Eric to have many good years here.”

The United man will face competition from the likes of last year's winner, Borussia Dortmund striker Pïerre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez.

Yaya Toure, who has won the award four times and was named BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2015 after captaining Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations success, has been omitted after being frozen out under Pep Guardiola.

The winner is decided by a vote of coaches and technical directors of African teams, and will be announced in January.