Bruno Fernandes confesses to Arsenal vote as he picks up PFA Player of the Year award | OneFootball

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Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes has been awarded the PFA Player of the Year Award following an outstanding campaign. The Portuguese maestro was in red-hot form last season, breaking the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season.

Fernandes registered 21 assists in the league, helping United finish third in the table and secure qualification for the Champions League.

Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season

The 31 year old’s efforts have already seen him bag the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Player of the Year awards. Fernandes has also won his record fifth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, and has now been voted by his peers as last season’s best player.

The Portuguese arrived at the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday to receive his award and made a surprise revelation during an interview on the red carpet.

United skipper voted for Arsenal star

As cited by The Mirror, Fernandes revealed that he voted for an Arsenal player for the PFA Player of the Year award. He said: “I won’t say who it was but I voted for some Arsenal player. They were amazing; very strong, very difficult to play against. A team that was very successful, not just in the Premier League but also in European competition.”

“Getting into that Champions League final was something that was amazing from them, keeping themselves in the competition until so late, it’s something that they need to be proud of. And I think they deserve all the respect that all the Premier League has to give to them.”

The rules forbid nominees from voting for themselves, which is why Fernandes had to opt for a rival. While the Portuguese refused to name the player, it could have been Declan Rice, who was a fellow nominee for the PFA award, as well as the Premier League Player of the Season award.

Fernandes shares a cordial relationship with the Englishman, and has previously revealed that he wanted him at United. Ultimately, though, the Portuguese maestro’s vote amounted to nothing as he won the award.

A special season

Fernandes went on to shed light on achieving the Premier League assist record, acknowledging that it was a special season for him. He continued: “It was a special season, individually for me.”

“And obviously, I’m very proud that all the ones that have decided to help me. I haven’t thought about the (assists) record much until you guys started commenting so much. Obviously, then when you start getting closer, you start thinking about it and everything. But I think it got into more into my strikers and into myself.”

“The more so, you get to score the goal and to give me that feeling that sometimes they even forgot about their own game. But I’m very happy because assisting means that someone is getting goals, and mostly if I’m assisting, Manchester United is getting goals.”

The United skipper, however, stressed the importance of winning as a team, concluding: “But obviously, we don’t play tennis. We play for just ourselves. We play football. We play in a team. We play for a club. We play for our fans. And there’s nothing more special than that.”

“It’s very good to have that responsibility because it’s something nice. It’s something you can enjoy. Obviously, you have to deal with it. It’s not always easy, but I think it’s better to have that pressure than none.”

Final Thoughts

Fernandes’ contract expires next summer, adding to speculation regarding his future. However, recent reports suggest that United are already locked in talks to tie their mercurial skipper down to a new deal.