Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman has heaped praise on current Toffees star Bernard, admitting the Brazilian could be the player to fill the void previously left by Steven Pienaar, the Daily Mirror report.
The 26-year-old has impressed in Everton’s previous two Premier League victories over Leicester City and Crystal Palace, after missing the beginning of the campaign through injury.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk man is yet to find the back of the net for his new club, however, his creative play has left plenty of Toffees’ fans impressed by his start to life in England.
Former midfield general Osman, who made over 350 appearances for the club in a 16-year stint, is also a big fan of the Brazilian, comparing the wide man to former team-mate Pienaar.
Talking to the Mirror, Osman said:
Since Steven left, we have lacked that type of creative player, with guile, trickery and that ability to play off the left, finding space in little pockets.
We tried a couple of No. 10s out there, wingers, even central midfielders and strikers, but couldn’t find that balance.
People maybe didn’t know what to expect when Everton signed Bernard, but five minutes into his debut, you could see people taking a step back, thinking, we might have another little cracker here.
Bernard looks set to keep his place in the starting line-up when Marco Silva takes his side to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, looking to make it three league wins in a row for the first time this season.
