Bruno Fernandes believes that, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane's experience of winning the Champions League is important in the competition, the rest of the squad must follow in their footsteps and be hungry enough to win it for the first time.
United return to European action on Wednesday night as they take on Atletico Madrid in the first-leg of their last 16 tie, with the competition now being the club's only opportunity of ending their five-year trophy drought this season.
Their chances of lifting the famous trophy seem remote considering the quality of competition they would have to overcome, with Ronaldo, Varane and Juan Mata being the only members of the squad to have done so before.
However, Fernandes has pointed out that they had to win it for the first time and that the rest of the team need to show the same desire in order to join them.
"Cristiano won this competition many times and everyone knows in this kind of competition he has that smell for the goal, he has that smell for doing different things," he said.
"In the same way we have Rapha that has won the Champions League also, I think four times. That is a player also that is capable to do but it's always a first time for someone that wins.
"Sometimes it's about someone that have more experience sometimes it's about someone that have experienced it for the first time because they're hungry to do something well, something good, they want to show it.
"Because Cristiano when he won the first one obviously he probably was not the most influential player or, you can say, that had more experience in that competition but he won it anyway and he helped the team win the Champions League.
"It's all about everyone has to stick together doing the same things, have the same focus and obviously having players that can decide games for us in any moment is always helpful and being Cristiano or another one the most important for us is winning the game and going through this stage."
United have won their last two matches, against Brighton and Leeds, ahead of travelling to the Spanish capital and Fernandes believes the recent results have helped prepare them for the difficult match.
"I think the team has been playing well even in the games we didn't win," he added. "Obviously, when you don't get the result, it's not perfect for you and we know that.
"Honestly, winning games gives you more confidence and going through this game that is important for us and a difficult one. We know that having that confidence of winning games gives you something more to be prepared for the game.
"To be more focused and to understand that if we do the right things and the things that we work to do and if we stick to the plan from the first until the last minute, we can win the game."
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