Cape Town - Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho
has praised Eric Bailly for showing his fierce commitment to the club
during their pre-season tour of the United States.
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The Ivory Coast missed a large chunk of the 2017/18 campaign through injury, but has been an ever-present on Tour 2018 with four starts for the Red Devils.
Bailly was initially omitted for the International Champions Cup clash against Liverpool on Saturday after taking a knock to his ankle in the defeat to Milan three days prior.
However, the 24-year-old defender stepped in when Chris Smalling sustained an injury in the warm-up at Michigan Stadium and played the entire 90 minutes of his side's 4-1 defeat to the Reds.
Mourinho paid tribute to his first United signing for putting the club first, saying that Bailly is the perfect team player.
"When he saw that Smalling in the warm-up was leaving, he decided by himself he did not want another kid on the pitch," the Portuguese coach said.
"That is why we have him, why we still have him and why he is going to stay with us because football teams need people like him; the kind of people where the club is more important than anything else.
"He is a team boy, he is a great boy. He is an honest man, always ready to give everything for the team."