Bruno Fernandes has received strong backing from former Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley, who described the captain's work rate as 'out of this world', amid an ongoing dispute with club legend Roy Keane.
Fernandes' Assist Record and Keane's Criticism
Fernandes set the Premier League assist record on the final day of the season as United defeated Brighton, having previously matched the mark set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne against Nottingham Forest. After that match, Keane criticised the mentality of Fernandes and his teammates, suggesting they were overly focused on the Portuguese star's milestone rather than securing victory.
Fernandes responded by accusing Keane of dishonesty and revealing he had requested Keane's phone number to address the matter directly.
Bardsley's Defence of Fernandes
Keane has previously argued that Fernandes should be stripped of the captaincy, but Bardsley holds a contrasting view. The former full-back praised Fernandes' leadership and contributions.
'Absolutely,' Bardsley told the Mirror when asked if he was happy with Fernandes as captain. 'He leads by example every day in training, delivers on the football pitch, and yeah, he's elite.'
Bardsley emphasised the importance of keeping Fernandes at the club ahead of a Champions League campaign. The midfielder has one year left on his current deal, though United hold an option to extend by a further year, and a reported £56million release clause could make him available.
'He's hard to describe. He's just brilliant at what he does. He's a brilliant football player and a joy to watch. I'm very lucky to watch United on a regular basis and see him deliver. Even if he's having a bad game, his work rate is out of this world. I think sometimes that goes unnoticed because of the goals and the assists, but he's a proper player,' Bardsley added.
Evra Also Defends Fernandes
Former United full-back Patrice Evra also stepped up to defend Fernandes. While understanding Keane's frustration given the media focus on the assist record, Evra suggested he would have helped Fernandes break it.
'After the media made the assist record big, I will understand some reaction from Keano because they are winning people. It's more about the frustration. It's not like I agree with what he said, but I understand both sides. And of course, if I play with Bruno and I know he can break the record, I will do my best to help him because now the goal is we already achieved, we qualified for the Champions League. So definitely the next game, I will try to pass the ball to Bruno and he can make an assist and break the record,' Evra told Stake.
