"He had unbelievable ability" - Gary Neville lauds ex-teammate who flourished despite not being a typical Manchester United center-forward

Dimitar Berbatov was a crucial cog in the wheel of success at Manchester United during his time at the club. The Bulgarian forward won six major trophies in his four seasons at the club, including two Premier League titles. He was also part of the squads that finished runners-up in two UEFA Champions League editions - 2008-09 and 2010-11.

Although Berbatov scored 56 goals in 149 matches for the Red Devils across all competitions, Gary Neville believes Berbatov was forced to stay in the shadows of the other forwards who plied their trades at the club at the time.

Neville claimed that Berbatov was 'really good', but he wasn't quite 'seen at the level' of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

Speaking to Sky Sports (via The Manchester Evening News), Neville reportedly shared his thoughts regarding Berbatov's situation while they played together for the club. He said:

"There was a thing about Berba [Dimitar Berbatov] that didn't quite settle, he was a Manchester United centre-forward, he was really good. The problem was we had [Wayne] Rooney, [Carlos] Tevez and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, it's a bit like when you go from that [gestates high] to that [lower].

Neville further likened the situation to that of Teddy Sheringham and Eric Cantona a few years earlier at the club.

"It's like when Teddy [Sheringham] came in and [Eric] Cantona left, the initial reaction was: 'Ah, he's not as good as Eric' and he didn't have the same impact.

"It was a little bit like that for Berba because we'd been used to having Tevez, Rooney [and], Ronaldo people didn't see him quite at that level.

However, Gary Neville heaped praise on Berbatov for his ability and how he fit into the grand scheme of things.

"But he did do a great job, he wasn't the Manchester United 'typical centre-forward' you'd see in the previous 10-15 years but he had unbelievable ability, great lad, I think it worked but because you was comparing to before what had happened before you may be thinking it didn't but it probably did work."

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Dimitar Berbatov believes Manchester United could 'be back in the mix' for the Premier League title

Dimitar Berbatov made 149 appearances for the Red Devils

Berbatov continues to publicly support Manchester United and often takes to social media to show his support. Earlier this month, the 41-year-old had backed the Red Devils to still be in the race for the Premier League title, and said momentum would be key.

“Manchester United have a great chance to build momentum and get on a good run, they could be back in the mix under Ralf Rangnick. It's a marathon, not a sprint," he said.

Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils currently find themselves in fourth place on the Premier League table, but 19 points adrift of league-leaders and arch-rivals Manchester City.

While winning the league may already be a distant dream, a top-four finish will certainly be on the agenda for the remainder of the season.