'One of those little gems' - Steve McClaren hails impact of Leeds United star Raphinha

The Brazilian has been recognised as one of the signings of the season following his bargain £17million move from Rennes last summer.

His impact – which includes five goals and five assists in the Premier League – has not gone unnoticed, with a number of pundits singing the 24-year-old’s praises.

And McClaren, now technical director at Derby County, has become the latest person to hail Raphinha’s eye-catching performances.

“That is one of (Marcelo) Bielsa’s great strengths. He knows his players, especially South American players. This lad has been around Europe, been in Brazil – he knows he has got the ability and talent.

"He’s a little bit like Patrick Bamford – probably a late developer or a late maturer as we call them, and he’s coming to the Premier League at just the right age.

"The key thing is he is a Bielsa player and you have to be a Bielsa player.

"You have to be fit, you have to run, you have to be able to do the miles, you have to play intensely, you have to be able to take the ball right and left.

"In those front three positions, you’ve got (Jack) Harrison on the left-hand side, Raphinha on the right – what a threat."

The 59-year-old believes the South American deserves credit for adapting to life in England so quickly when many others struggle.

He continued: "You’ve got Bamford making runs through the middle and the midfield players going as well – it is perfect for Raphinha and he’s one of those little gems that somebody pulls out that adapts very quickly to the Premier League, which is a difficult league to adapt to.

"He’s done it very well. Sometimes you can get soft, silky South Americans – he looks tough, rugged and strong. (It’s) great mentality – perfect for the Premier League.”