The Uruguay international scored twice against Southampton and impressed the former Red Devil with his match-winning display
Gary Neville has lavished praise on Edinson Cavani, saying he is one of the best in the business at making near-post runs.
Uruguay international Cavani has been a deadly goalscorer throughout a career which has seen him shine at Palermo, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain.
Manchester United are looking for him to make the same sort of impact after bringing him to the club from PSG earlier this year.
There have been signs of quality, before he burst into life with two goals and an assist to inspire a win at Southampton on Sunday.
Both of his goals were headers where he showed his instincts to get in front of his marker to score.
Neville was deeply impressed and feels that even though Cavani has been pulling the same trick for years, he is difficult to stop because he executes the move so well.
“He had a big impact,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “The interesting thing about his [first] goal, Cavani is one of the best at it, he has been for years.
“He did it against England in making that run in and around the near post. He does it all the time. He is always there, making that movement across defenders.
“As it comes to [Bruno] Fernandes, Manchester United have four players in this area, but the one that is on the move is the goalscorer, the one with the instinct.”
Neville referred back to Cavani’s debut for United against Chelsea in October as evidence of how he executes the near-post run so well.
“I talked about the near-post run and his first touch in English football is from a corner. He goes across the near post – which he will do every single time, you know it is coming.
“Against Southampton when the ball went out wide to the left, you are thinking Cavani is going to go in. You can’t believe Southampton, with three players around him, have not gone body-to-body to manage the run.
“As he runs in, he is one of the best in the business at it. Cavani has been doing it for years.”
Neville feels Cavani would have thrived at Old Trafford in the team he played for under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“Sir Alex Ferguson used to say as a striker, you have to get across the near post to take the first defender away as he likes to position himself and cement his feet at the near post, but to also affect the goalkeeper and Cavani is the best at it.”
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