"He can hold his head high" - Gary Neville suggests Manchester United star's performances have been a silver lining this season

Gary Neville believes Brazilian midfielder Fred is one of the few Manchester United players who can look back at the season with some pride. The 29-year-old midfielder scored the equalizer against Leicester City in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Neville spoke highly of Fred's recent performances despite United being below-par in most of the recent games. Speaking to Sky Sports (via the Manchester Evening News), the former player-turned-pundit praised the Brazilian midfielder saying:

"This season's been pretty good (for Fred), I think the game against Atletico Madrid which was a desperately bad night for Manchester United, he was fantastic, particularly in that first half. But it's a pretty low bar this season for Manchester United but he (Fred) can hold his head high."

Fred was one of the underperforming players under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and faced a lot of criticism earlier this season. However, he has found a new level of confidence since Ralf Rangnick took charge back in November.

In his last five Premier League games, Fred has scored twice and assisted once. His two goals came against Leeds United in a 4-2 win at Elland Road and against Leicester on Saturday.

As things stand, Fred has made 32 appearances for the Red Devils this season and has contributed four goals and six assists in all competitions.

It is worth mentioning that Fred has less than 18 months remaining on his current contract at Old Trafford. However, if he continues to perform at the highest level, a contract extension could soon be on the table.

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Manchester United lose more ground in the race for the Premier League top four

Following their draw against Leicester City, Manchester United have dropped more ground in the race to secure a place in next season's Champions League. As things stand, United remain sixth in the standings, having amassed 51 points from 30 matches.

The Red Devils are currently trailing fourth-placed Arsenal by three points. However, the Gunners have two games in hand over their chasing rivals.

The next two games are going to be crucial for Manchester United's top-four hopes. They are scheduled to face Everton and Norwich City in their next two matches. Both sides are currently engulfed in a relegation battle.

The Red Devils then have two difficult games against Liverpool and Arsenal to end the month of April.