De Gea pleasantly surprised by Bailly´s United impact

Eric Bailly’s impressive start to life at Manchester United has come as a surprise to the whole squad, says goalkeeper David De Gea.

United paid Villarreal a reported £30million to make Bailly the first signing for manager Jose Mourinho.

Bailly arrived with limited experience having made just 40 combined LaLiga appearances for Espanyol and Villarreal, and the Ivory Coast defender was seen as something as a prospect for the future.

However, the 22-year-old has been a huge success thus far, claiming the Man of the Match award three times in four competitive games during August as United enjoyed a 100 per cent winning start to the Premier League.

And De Gea, who himself endured a turbulent start to life in England before establishing himself among the best ‘keepers in the word, hailed his team-mate’s impact.

“Oof, [Bailly has been] a great signing,” De Gea told the Daily Mail.

“Eric’s come in and surprised us all very quickly. I remember when I first came to England and, trust me, it can be hard early on but he’s flying.

“He is physical, strong, technically confident and super-fast. He only speaks a little English but we have lots of Spaniards in the dressing room and Paul Pogba speaks French of course.

“He’s a big presence and when I stand in the tunnel and look behind me, he is one of the new big, powerful players along with Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic that gives us real presence and stature this season.”

United will attempt to make it four wins from four in the Premier League against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday.