Bruno Fernandes: Man United star reveals secret to brilliant form | OneFootball

Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes will have his eyes on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a record-breaking season at Old Trafford. The Portuguese magnifico created history by registering the most assists in the Premier League (21) in a single season, surpassing the previous record (20) held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Fernandes was the driving force in the Red Devils’ third-place finish in the Premier League last season, registering nine goals and 22 assists in all competitions in total.

Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

The United skipper has consistently been among the goals since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Sporting in January 2020. Fernandes has registered 107 goals and 108 assists in 327 games for the English giants, and recently shed light on the secret behind his goalscoring form.

Hard work and training

Speaking to ESPN, Fernandes insisted that the trick is not to think too much. He said: “It’s about not thinking too much. I think that, obviously, it’s work, it’s training, and also something that has been born with me a bit since my childhood, which has always been one of my attributes, the pass and the shot. But with that came a lot of work.”

“I remember my time in Italy, which was difficult for me. In the first year of Udinese, I had been signed from the Italian second league to Novara and I arrive at Udinese thinking that: I was signed for €5 million ($5.8m), which at the time was a lot of money, I’m going to play, I’m going to be the player who’s going to join here.”

“And I ended up having a year, four months there, where I had to train a lot, work a lot. And I had two coaches who trained with me separately, technical coaches, so to speak, who made me even better.”

The Di Natale factor

Fernandes went on to credit Udinese legend Antonio Di Natale with teaching him how to strike the ball. He said: “With all this, I also had Di Natale who taught me how to hit the ball, how to position the body, how to take the steps before hitting the ball, the positioning of the goalkeeper and the positions where we are shooting.”

The Portuguese magician played alongside Di Natale for three seasons at Udinese before moving to Sampdoria. Fernandes was quick to point out that he learned from several other players, including United legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said: “And over time I had other players, in the national team I was fortunate to work with Cristiano [Ronaldo] all these years, and over time you will learn from the best. I watch a lot of soccer. I dedicate myself to learning from the players I see, not only those I refer [to], but also from all those who do something good.”

“Even today, in the Premier League, in the Spanish league, in the Italian and French league, in the whole world, I watch a lot of soccer and I can learn and get the best out of each one to try to include in my game.”

Eager to inspire United back to the top

Fernandes also spoke warmly about United, insisting that it is an honour to play for the English giants. He said: “Playing for Manchester United is always a special moment for everyone. At the same time, it brings a lot of responsibility with it. But I don’t think anyone comes to Manchester United thinking that we won’t have the responsibility to win again, to be at the top of Premier League, at the top of European soccer. Because the club’s history brings that responsibility.”

“Regardless of the most recent years they were not at the level that the club was used to. I think everyone always believes that we can be the ones who are going to do this, the ones who are going to turn the page, the ones who are going to make it possible for United to fight on all fronts.”

“And I think that has to be special for us players, to realize that we can be the main, let’s say, protagonists of this change of history for United to win again.”

Final Thoughts

Fernandes recently won his record fifth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, while also lifting the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards this season. The Portuguese’s contract expires in just over a year, so fans will hope that United tie him down to a new deal soon.

Featured image Steve Bardens via Getty Images

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