Bruno Fernandes' behaviour at Man Utd clear for all to see as former coach speaks out

Daily Mirror

21-07-2025

Bruno Fernandes flirted with leaving Manchester United this summer, however he is now staying put and a former United coach has spoken on the midfielder's unique traits and what makes him so vital to the Red Devils
Former Manchester United player and coach Michael Carrick has claimed that Bruno Fernandes is a "demanding" presence at the club, which stems from the immense responsibility that he's shouldered at Old Trafford in recent years. Fernandes was United's shining light in a rotten season last year that saw Ruben Amorim's side finish in 15th and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
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United headed into the summer with a major overhaul expected. With the entire squad reportedly up for sale, Fernandes was on the verge of ending his five-year association with the Red Devils after he was the subject of interest from Saudi club Al Hilal - with a mega-money offer said to be on the table.
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Yet Fernandes elected to stay at United, and the Portuguese star's defiance and self-belief are the very characteristics that Carrick believes helps make Fernandes United's "talisman".
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Carrick joined United's coaching staff after retiring from the game in 2018. He also took up the brief role as United's caretaker manager on two separate occasions - in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho was sacked and in November 2021 following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - and so has first-hand experience of dealing with United's star man.
Appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Carrick detailed his thoughts on Fernandes, 30, and he only had positive things to say about the Portuguese. "Yeah, I like Bruno. I work with him, with Ole [Gunnar Solskjar] and he's fantastic," he told Ferdinand.
"He's got a real, he's desperate to do well. He's so keen to do well, and that's a really positive thing. And then sometimes, you can overdo it sometimes as well, and it's such a fine balance. But his attitude, he plays every game, he never misses training, and he's there all the time.
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"Puts himself out there, puts himself forward, and he's been the main man, really, the talisman for some time. And when there's moments or there's something that's needed, Bruno's been the one to step up. I really enjoyed working with him when I did. He asks questions, he's demanding, but he wants to do the right thing."
Asked by Ferdinand about how he communicated his ideas to Fernandes while he was caretaker manager, Carrick added: "He took it pretty quickly. He got it, he understood what it was. It's amazing you get a feel for that with certain players. You would have had it when we were playing, some players come and grasp it and get it.
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"I understand the whole thing, because I think there's a responsibility in United that it's not just that little bit of football on the pitch. There's a whole other world out there, isn't there? There's a responsibility, really, I think, in terms of behaviour and how you act and how you do things. And that was certainly from when I came through the door, that was almost thrown upon you.
"You had no choice, but you made a deal with it. You don't, and if you don't, then see you later. And Bruno's the type that he embraced all that straight away."
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On whether Fernandes, who has 98 goals in 290 appearances for United since joining in 2020, would fit into Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary squads over the years, Carrick said: "Ability-wise, definitely, I think. But also, he'd buy into what we were trying to achieve."
Fernandes publicly addressed a potential move away from United earlier this summer. Speaking at a press conference for his national team in June he said: "There was an opportunity. The [Al-Hilal] president called me and asked if I wanted to go there. They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach [Ruben] Amorim. He asked me not to go.
"Manchester United didn't want to sell me. They don't need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen."
Listen to the full Rio Meets Michael Carrick interview available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast YouTube channel from 5pm GMT.