Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has admitted that Bastian Schweinsteiger was a fantastic signing for Manchester United.

The German midfielder signed for the Premier League club this summer after spending his entire career to date with German giants Bayern Munich. Now 31 years of age, Schweinsteiger seems to be enjoying life in a different country and probably gave his best Manchester United performance to date in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Liverpool.

“I think Bastian Schweinsteiger was magnificent for Germany against Scotland and could have a big impact,” the former Arsenal man wrote in the Daily Mail.

Louis van Gaal’s side sit second in the Premier League table and have a number of midfielders, but Schweinsteiger was the pick of the bunch at the weekend. Whether or not he can stay fit will really determine how successful a signing he is for the club.

Over the past three seasons the midfielder has had a lot of injuries, and van Gaal has eased him into the team at Old Trafford, but when he is fit he is a classy player.

“He is already a top player and could turn out to be a fantastic signing for United. He has a real hallmark of quality about him and can run games from midfield.

“He may not be a long-term solution but he could be a top signing.”

United already have Michael Carrick – an injury-prone midfielder who is 31 – and longevity is a real issue. This midfield may well work for the time being, but they will have to come up with another solution fairly soon.