Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has praised Marouane Fellaini and has insisted that he is an important player for the Red Devils.
Mourinho did not start Fellaini in the first leg of Manchester United's EFL Cup semi-final tie against Hull City on Tuesday and kept him on the bench.
After Juan Mata broke the deadlock in the second half, the Red Devils’ manager replaced him with Fellaini in the 79th minute and the midfielder did not disappoint his boss.
The Belgian scored late in the 87th minute to seal the victory for his side and also registered his first goal of the current campaign in the process.
Fellaini celebrated his strike with Mourinho, who believes that the player scored an important goal and said that he is vital for Manchester United.
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"That's the reason why I am here, to support the players especially in a difficult situation", Mourinho told the club’s official website.
"He has a very strong mentality, he coped well with the situation and he was not afraid in the next match after Everton to go onto the pitch again.
"I think he played phenomenally against Reading and [against Hull] he scored an important goal for us”, added the 53-year-old.
“The dynamic has changed and the empathy from the fans.
Mourinho said Fellaini always has his support and explained: “He is always supported by myself and he knows that he is a very important player for me."
The 29-year-old has made 21 appearances for the Red Devils this season in all competitions and will be eyeing making an impact in his side’s game against Liverpool on Sunday.
Manchester United earlier today activated an option to keep Fellaini under contract until 2018.
