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Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the club will soon see the best of summer acquisition, Donny van de Beek.
Speaking on the Webby and O'Neill YouTube channel, Neville said:
"Van de Beek is a very good football player, at the moment he's having a tough time and I feel sorry for the lad. Every time I see him on camera I want to hug him, I know I shouldn't be hugging him because he's £40m and we're in coronavirus, but I think, 'Oh God, Donny! Donny, come round for tea. Relax.'
"He must be thinking, 'what have I come here for?' I think he'll be a brilliant player for United because I think he's a brilliant player, but I don't think we've seen it yet. You've been brought in from Ajax for £40m and all of a sudden you're on the bench. He's like, 'Hang on a minute, you've brought me in to be a star here and I'm not even playing,'" he continued.
"I've not seen that happen before at Manchester United, they've bought a player for so much, so highly-rated and he's just been left completely on the bench. I think he'll come good," said Neville.
Donny van de Beek joined Manchester United from Ajax for £40m in the summer and it was expected that he would become a mainstay in the club's midfield.
Things have, however, not gone to plan for him and he has made just two starts in the Premier League so far.
Can Donny van de Beek still turn his Manchester United career around?
Van de Beek starred with Ajax for five seasons and his displays from midfield led to a scramble for his signature among Europe's elite clubs.
Ultimately, it was Manchester United that secured his transfer but the 23-year-old has not had the career trajectory he would have wanted.
He does not seem to have earned the trust of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, nor has he really made the most of the limited opportunities afforded him.
Bruno Fernandes' form means Donny Van de Beek cannot be deployed in his preferred position, while Fred and Scott McTominay are the first-choice combination at the base of midfield.
Van de Beek's price tag is a heavy weight on his shoulders but it is undeniable that he has the talent and ability to make a mark at Manchester United. Whether he will be afforded the opportunity to do so remains to be seen.
