Bruno Fernandes reveals how close he came to LEAVING Man United last summer – as he responds to Roy Keane criticism after hat-trick hero display

In a week where change has been the constant theme of discussion at Old Trafford, it was a familiar name winning football games for Manchester United.

On Thursday night, Bruno Fernandes kept their hopes of silverware and the prospect of playing Champions League football next season alive with his second hat-trick for the club.

For Fernandes, who has 15 goals this season, the sheer desire to bring United back to winning ways is evident in his every action.

Of course, he has the quality too and this was the kind of performance that again highlighted exactly why United must rebuild around him.

Fernandes was the only United player to emerge with any credit from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s interviews this week with the United co-owner describing the 30-year-old as ‘a fabulous footballer’ and admitting that life would be ‘really tough’ without him. Some of his teammates were however called out as ‘not good enough’ and ‘overpaid’.

‘It’s not nice to hear certain things obviously. I don’t think any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever,’ Fernandes said on Thursday night 

Bruno Fernandes was again Manchester United’s hero as his hat-trick downed Real Sociedad

The captain fired them into the quarter-finals of the Europa League after United went 1-0 down

He says he had an offer to leave over the summer, but United must keep hold of him and build around him 

‘Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract and it’s about yourself proving that you can be important for the club,’ the United skipper added.

There is no doubt about his own importance though – this was the 12th match this season in which Fernandes has scored and in eight of those games, his contribution has been decisive, with his goals turning losses into draws and draws into wins. Without him, who knows where United would be.

The wider numbers alone are immense too. Since his United debut in February 2020, only Mohamed Salah (122) has won more points for his team in the Premier League with goals or assists than Fernandes (77) has for United.

He has 109 goal involvements in 186 Premier League games and when it comes to chances created, the Portuguese international is streets ahead of the rest – Fernandes has created at least 90 more chances than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since he made the move from Sporting Lisbon five years ago.

Yet a fortnight ago, former United captain Roy Keane called Fernandes out as a leader, saying talent was not enough. This season, he’s been sent off three times.

Asked about Keane’s comments on Thursday night, a defiant Fernandes said: ‘Everyone has an opinion and that’s fine. Roy Keane was an amazing captain for the club – one of the best as everyone says. 

‘He’s massively respected and has all my respect. He has to give his opinion in a programme and that is what he thinks about me. What I’m doing on the pitch is to try to change his mind or try to do something that he probably sees as a good thing. 

‘Obviously, I do it in my own way. I don’t want to copy anyone. I try to be the best captain that I can for my teammates. I try to help everyone in the best way I can and the best way I know. I have a lot of things to improve, not only as a captain but as a player, a person, as a human being and that’s fine. 

He said it was ‘not nice’ for players to hear the recent comments from Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe had listed certain players as ‘inherited’ before describing some as ‘not good enough’ and ‘overpaid’ 

Fernandes also addressed Roy Keane’s recent tirade, insisting on his respect for the Irishma

‘Criticism is going to be always a part and it’s going to make me grow and understand that there’s still a long way to go.’

Another United legend was however effusive in his praise for Fernandes after his match-winning display against Real Sociedad. ‘Over the last six-to-seven weeks he’s been brilliant,’ said Paul Scholes on TNT Sports. ‘He’s playing a bit deeper rather than that 10 role. He’s carrying this team to a little bit of success.’

With Fernandes, United have the best player in the Europa League and every chance of winning the competition. The reality is that for a player of his calibre, one FA Cup and one EFL Cup across his time in Manchester is nowhere near enough.

‘He is the perfect captain for our team and we need to help him win titles because he deserves this,’ said Amorim, after one of United’s best displays under him. ‘It is hard for a player like him sometimes – he wants to win really bad and sometimes too much. It is not a bad thing but sometimes he doesn’t trust his teammates but he is always there.’

Though Fernandes disagreed categorically with the idea that he deserves more.

‘No, I deserve the same as my teammates. I’m in the same boat as them. If I haven’t given everything to the club yet, or more to the club – it’s because I don’t deserve it and that’s it,’ he said. 

‘It doesn’t matter how much you do – how much you score, how much you assist – that doesn’t change anything. It’s about the team, it’s about the club to succeed. Obviously, I want to win trophies. I’m not stupid. I want to be in the biggest competitions, I want to fight for the big trophies. 

‘That’s what I said to the club. That’s what the club said to me that they want to do. Then it’s about the players going on the pitch and the club to do the investments to bring players, take players or whatever they want to do. 

Fernandes has rescued United with match-winning displays throughout the campaign 

The Portuguese says that a chat with Erik ten Hag convinced him to stay on for a ‘rebuild’

Ruben Amorim insisted United must win titles to reward Fernandes for his efforts at the club

‘It’s not my part to say who’s good to come – that has to be the manager and the board. They have to decide. I just want to do everything I can to help the club succeed.’

Ultimately last summer, Fernandes only signed a new contract because he believed United could be successful.

‘I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave and we talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying,’ said Fernandes. ‘They said what they wanted from me. I just asked if they saw me as part of the future of the club or not. 

‘I spoke at the time with (Erik) Ten Hag also. He was very clear and the club were very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild. I heard what they had to tell me. I thought that we could be successful,’ he added.

United could desperately do with the Champions League revenue to kick-start their rebuild under Ratcliffe and help finance the new stadium. Right now, success in the Europa League is the only way to achieve that for next season.

And in and around some other brilliant displays from the likes of Patrick Dorgu, Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee last night, once again it was a familiar face who delivered the goods to keep that prospect alive.

‘This club is all about winning,’ Fernandes insisted last night. With him around, undoubtedly the whole idea of success is all the more likely.