Roy Keane appeared to escalate his long-running feud with Bruno Fernandes by sharing a cryptic social media post on Monday, seemingly calling the Manchester United star a 'donkey'. The former United captain has frequently criticised Fernandes over recent years, targeting his leadership, attitude, and body language.
Fernandes hits back at Keane
Earlier on Monday, Fernandes labelled Keane a 'liar' and revealed he had sought out the Irishman's phone number to confront him over what he considered misplaced criticism. The row stems from Keane's misinterpretation of a Fernandes interview on The Overlap, where Keane claimed the Portuguese playmaker admitted to prioritising personal assists over team success. In reality, Fernandes had criticised himself for shooting when he should have passed during a match against Nottingham Forest on May 17.
Fernandes, who set a Premier League record with 21 assists this season, expressed his frustration on The Diary of a CEO podcast: 'What I don't like is when people lie about things... He can criticise me, kill me, say that I'm not good enough... but don't make up words.'
Keane's cryptic response
Later on Monday, Keane posted an image on Instagram of a roaring donkey with two lions in the background, captioned: 'Too much attention makes a donkey think he's a lion.' The post was widely interpreted as a dig at Fernandes, whom Keane had previously referred to as a 'donkey'.
Fernandes has created 136 chances this season, far ahead of second-placed Dominik Szoboszlai with 78. Meanwhile, Manchester United have reportedly begun talks to extend Fernandes's contract, which runs until next year with a £57 million release clause, amid interest from European and Saudi Arabian clubs.
