“I’m going to get Manchester United fans hammering me for saying it” – Ex-England cricketer Steve Harmison compares Newcastle star to Red Devils legend

Former England cricketer Steve Harmison has compared Newcastle United centre-back Sven Botman to Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic.

The Englishman, who is now a Newcastle United correspondent for talkSPORT, insists that the Dutch defender reminds him of the retired Serbian centre-back.

Newcastle have had one of their best starts to a campaign in a long time. The Magpies find themselves in third place in the Premier League table with 30 points, losing just one of their 15 league fixtures.

Eddie Howe’s side are in brilliant form after a great run of games in the English top flight. Newcastle most recently secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at St. James’ Park on Saturday (12 November).

Botman, who has registered 13 league appearances for the Magpies so far, has been their pillar at the back this term. The Dutch defender’s performances have attracted praise from many, including Harmison, who believes Botman is going to be a ‘superstar’.

The former England cricketer told talkSPORT (via Newcastle World):

“Holland have got a very good centre-back pair but Sven Botman is going to be a superstar. Newcastle are third in the Premier League and I think they’ve got a chance of staying up there because of the defence Eddie Howe has built and the stability he’s got.”

“Nick Pope and the back four are keeping clean sheets for fun and that’s largely down to the big Dutchman because he is a machine. He’s a big lad with a strong character. He’s got a bit of pace. His persona on the pitch is infectious, all he wants to do is defend.”

Harmison then compared Botman to former Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic, who registered 300 appearances for the Red Devils. He said:

“I’m going to get Manchester United fans hammering me for saying it but I think he’s the closest thing I’ve seen to Nemanja Vidic since he left the Premier League. He’s a big strong man who wants to defend but he can play as well.”

“We’re going in the right direction” – Erik ten Hag says he is happy with Manchester United’s development

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has praised his squad for their development and the improvements that they have made. Following the Red Devils’ 2-1 victory over Fulham on 13 November, the Dutch boss said (via GOAL):

“I think we have a base. We’re going in the right direction, the culture has changed. The attitude has changed and that’s good. We have also improved. We have got a better mentality and you saw that today with the winner in the last minute.”

“We are now united, we have togetherness. The dressing room, the staff, the directors, the whole club and the fans. I’m really happy with that development.”

United are currently fifth in the league table with 26 points after 14 games, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place.