How Bruno Fernandes surprised Man United legend Gary Neville | OneFootball

It does not bear thinking about where Manchester United would be without Bruno Fernandes. Across the last few seasons, the supremely talented playmaker has single-handedly won points for the Red Devils and dragged his teammates to victories that would have been impossible were it not for his genius.

Despite that, the United captain still regularly finds himself at odds with some of the most respected and knowledgeable pundits in the game. His long-standing feud with Roy Keane seems to have been put to bed with a recent phone call, but that is just one example of the adversity the Portugal international faces from the media.

However, former United captain Gary Neville has now leapt to the defence of the Red Devils’ star player by highlighting a quality Fernandes possesses that became apparent when the cameras were not rolling.

A record-breaking season

Bruno Fernandes was the stand-out player in the Premier League last season. The creative genius led United to a third-placed finish in the league and topped the assists chart, registering a record-breaking 21 assists across the campaign.

These accolades rightly resulted in United’s captain being recognised as the Premier League Player of the Season.

Head coach Michael Carrick, having been a terrific midfielder himself, certainly knows how to get the best out of his star player, and the former Sporting CP player will be pivotal as United aim to challenge for silverware next season.

A surprising trait

After sitting down with Fernandes for an interview with Sky Sports last month, Neville noted a surprising trait that only those close to the attacking midfielder would be able to spot. The former England international elaborated on the point on the Stick To Football podcast, explaining how impressed he had been by Fernandes’ knowledge of all things football.

“I tell you what you realise when you speak to him one on one, and you speak to him off camera a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

“He’s a massive football fan; he watches all the football. He’s intelligent about football, isn’t he? He’s intelligent about football. He’s like someone that you speak to.”

Ian Wright weighs in

Neville went on to explain to Keane that Fernandes’ astonishing knowledge is the perfect example of a trait that can surprise pundits. “Yeah, but you’re [Keane] also right, sometimes you think we have this perception that maybe some players are a bit more carefree, and they’re not as serious as we think they are,” he said.

Ian Wright then gushed over the United ace, describing how it is the smaller details in Fernandes’ game that set him apart from his teammates. “Yeah, but you can tell by Bruno, when you watch how he plays every single pass, everything, he’s a perfectionist,” he explained.

Wright believes it is this desire for perfection that sometimes causes Bruno to lose his temper. He said, “He wants it to be perfect, he doesn’t like people to drop below standards, he looks like somebody that’s just constantly… but you can see it with him, he gets so wound up about thinking.”

Fernandes will be hoping to produce more perfect performances in the World Cup and beyond as he looks to get his hands on the silverware that his exceptional talent and attitude deserve.

Featured image Ryan Pierse via Getty Images

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