Nemanja Matic’s “trophy-winning mentality” will prove invaluable to Manchester United, says Nemanja Vidic.
The Red Devils convinced Premier League rivals Chelsea to part with the two-time Premier League champion this summer, with £40 million changing hands.
Matic has slotted seamlessly into the fold at Old Trafford, helping United to make a flying start to the 2017-18 campaign while his former employers are still scratching around for cover at the end of the window.
Vidic believes the deal offers value to United on multiple fronts, with it not just Matic’s qualities as a midfield enforcer which will end up aiding their quest to restore domestic dominance.
The former Red Devils defender told United Review of his fellow Serbian: "There are not so many players left at Old Trafford who have won the title before, so that trophy-winning mentality is very important because it can't only come from a very successful manager.
"Nemanja has been there before and he knows what it's like when the pressure really builds in a title race.
"He's a very good signing for us. He's a top player for the position and I'm surprised that Antonio Conte let him go.
“He played most of their games last season and did really well, so I didn't expect him to be sold to one of their biggest rivals. The way he's played in his first few games suggests he is a United player."
United have opened the season with three successive victories and are yet to concede a goal.
They sit top of the table as a result, with Matic hoping that a reunion with Jose Mourinho will deliver a repeat of the title triumph they enjoyed together at Chelsea in 2014-15.
Were the 29-year-old to help return the top-flight crown to Old Trafford, then he would earn instant legend status.
He will, however, still have a long way to go if he is to match the achievements of his countryman Vidic, with the iconic centre-half having collected five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup during his time with the Red Devils.