Bruno Fernandes — The man who made the Theatre dream again

Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes. EFL Cup and FA Cup winner. A file four-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award winner. The solely participant to win the Premier League Player of the Month award 4 occasions in the identical 12 months.

Fernandes has been an indomitable pillar for the workforce since his £47m switch from Sporting in 2020. But none of those accolades even come near doing justice to Manchester United’s Portuguese magnifico.

Inarguably the membership’s greatest signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson period, in 288 appearances for the Red Devils, the United No. 8 has scored 98 objectives and supplied 86 assists. Like many United captains of the previous, Fernandes has acquired his fair proportion of criticism from the media for his character.

But, like his legendary predecessors, all the reproval merely appears so as to add to Fernandes’ case – that he wears his coronary heart on his sleeve for the membership after which some. As humble and well mannered as ever in interviews, Fernandes lets his soccer do the speaking for him. And his resume is not any pushover both, having already captained the Red Devils to an FA Cup final season.

Freakishly daring and audaciously good, the United man compels you into humility and forces you to accord him the respect he deserves. And by no means has it been more true than the 2024/25 season. Bruno Fernandes has one way or the other discovered a method to take his sport up a notch in a season United can be determined to ignore.

Glistening in all his glory

An timeless beacon of sunshine in a time when the nightfall by no means appears to fade in the purple aspect of Manchester, the Red Devils’ captain has produced a person file of 19 objectives and 19 assists throughout all competitions.

For a shaky Manchester United outfit, whose season began riddled with defensive frailties and an impotence in entrance of aim, the 30-year-old was gradual to choose up the tempo too. Fernandes expelled all his fears as he netted for the first time all season on Halloween day in the FA Cup versus Leicester City below new interim boss, and soon-to-be opposition supervisor, Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He opened his account in the Premier League days after towards Chelsea. But that was simply the begin.

Manchester United’s Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes takes half in a workforce coaching session at the Carrington Training Complex in Manchester.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

In the 2024/25 Premier League season, the Manchester United captain has ranked first in possibilities created, in entrance of the league’s most inventive names in Mohammed Salah and Cole Palmer. While additionally rating third in ball recoveries in the league behind solely Moises Caicedo and Elliot Anderson.

Apart from being his workforce’s fundamental attacking outlet, Fernandes can also be in every single place on the pitch, persistently rating amongst the greatest for distance lined in the Premier League. Furthermore, he has missed solely three video games via harm throughout his time in Manchester.

His staggering bodily presence mixed along with his mesmerising method has shattered benchmarks of what it’s to be a midfielder and cemented his place as considered one of the greatest, maybe the greatest, midfielders in the league.

This is however a testomony to Fernandes’ unwavering dedication to his aspect and an ode to the abundance of high quality that makes him the particular participant he’s.

Beyond the numbers

But the distinction lies past the numbers. What makes the man from Maia, Portugal, greater than only a goals-and-assists machine?

It is Fernandes’ character and relentless capability to point out up for his workforce time and again again. Like supervisor Ruben Amorim mentioned in an interview following United’s 1-1 draw towards Arsenal in early January, the place Fernandes scored a elegant freekick, “We need more Brunos that is clear. He steps up all the time.”

Manchester United’s Mason Mount, left, celebrates with Bruno Fernandes after scoring their first aim of the sport throughout the Europa League semifinal second leg towards Athletic Bilbao in Manchester, on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
AP

At a time in the membership the place the gamers’ lack of want and hearth has been considered one of the greatest complaints of the followers and press, the Manchester United captain has proven us what it means to offer all the pieces for this storied badge.

In a latest interview after successful the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for a file fourth time, Fernandes famous, “I hope next year I’m not even in the [running] for the award and do the same season I did this year. That will mean Amad steps up. Garnacho steps up. Rasmus steps up. I will be the happ[iest] person in the world because I’m there to help my teammates to get the best out of them.”

The Portuguese midfielder has at all times appeared to get it. From the minute he first graced the hallowed turf of Old Trafford, Fernandes regarded like he had been right here all his life. He performed with a ardour and starvation paying homage to legends previous, paired with the flamboyance and tease of one other sure Portuguese attacker who made the journey from Sporting to Manchester again in 2004. From Maia to Manchester, it was not only a dream fulfilled, however a homecoming for the midfielder who united a membership, misplaced, of their love for him.

Now, at 30 years of age, the peak of his prowess, full in each sense, however nowhere close to completed, Manchester United’s magnifico has saved the spark alive in the Theatre of Dreams along with his magical performances in the Europa League.

His first aim in the competitors got here late on as he smashed dwelling a probing cross from Lisandro Martinez in entrance of the Stretford End in the 92nd minute to claw all three factors from a vigilant Rangers outfit which appeared to have grabbed onto a degree with an 88th-minute equaliser. Who else however Manchester United’s fundamental man to reignite the flame in the Old Trafford Red?

If that was the begin, issues solely obtained higher from there. United was down 1-2 on combination after conceding an early penalty in the second leg of the round-of-16. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, as the captain stepped as much as slot the ball not as soon as, however twice in entrance of the dwelling crowd to offer his aspect the lead.

With Real Sociedad all the way down to 10 males and United main by a aim with 4 minutes left in the tie, a fast United break, Garnacho carrying the ball as Fernandes galloped down the subject, a fast go, and the No. 8 buried the ball in the bottom-left nook to carry out his hat-trick. An evening of scintillating, free-flowing attacking soccer had left the Old Trafford trustworthy nostalgic for occasions when European nights like these have been a staple and hungry for extra.

Next up, Lyon. The Red Devils have been down 4-2 on the evening after conceding two objectives in additional time, and 6-4 on combination. Fernandes would step up, but again, in the 114th minute to try to give his aspect a glimmer of hope. And his spotkick did precisely that because it inched open a door slammed shut on their faces.

That inch was all they wanted as two ridiculously late objectives from Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire in the a hundred and twentieth and 121st minutes noticed United salvage its season and protect any hopes of European soccer subsequent season. The Red Devils accomplished considered one of the biggest comebacks of their historical past successful the sport 5-4, and the fixture 7-6 on combination.

The Theatre had began, albeit cautiously, opening as much as the unlikeliest of prospects. Manchester United would possibly simply win the Europa League and pry its manner into the UEFA Champions League in a season the place it’ll probably end sixteenth or seventeenth in the Premier League. Catastrophic could be an understatement. And no unbiased viewer would name it an undeserved achievement if it have been to occur.

But, earlier than that stood the check of the San Mames in Athletic Bilbao. A Thirty fifth-minute purple card for Bilbao’s Dani Vivian noticed Fernandes coolly go the ball in from 12 yards to make it 2-0 to United, earlier than a Manuel Ugarte slipped his captain in to faucet dwelling an intricately labored workforce transfer and end the tie 3-0. Manchester United would win the second leg 4-1 at dwelling and seal its berth in the last in type with a 7-1 win on combination.

Eternity awaits

Now, one sport separates Manchester United from a UCL berth and continental glory: a high-stakes winner-takes-all encounter towards home rival Tottenham Hotspur. An all-English European last. sixteenth versus seventeenth in the league. Both sides must win this tie to rescue their seasons.

But, above all, if there may be one participant who deserves this trophy greater than anybody else, it’s Bruno Fernandes. The heartbreak of the 10-11 loss to Villareal in penalties in the 2020/21 Europa League last in his first full season in Manchester. The trials and tribulations which have adopted with six totally different managers. The shifts in possession and the tempestuous season the membership has had.

If there may be one pressure that has withstood the check of this all, it’s Bruno Fernandes. Resplendent amidst the harrowing darkness. Effortlessly in his personal echelon, above the relaxation. The anchor that has single-handedly saved Manchester United’s season afloat.

Now, the captain of this fabled membership. Leader and function mannequin for hundreds of thousands throughout the world. This is the last hurdle stopping Bruno Fernandes from etching his identify in the annals as considered one of the biggest ever to do it for the Red Devils. Law, Robson, Schmeichel, Ferdinand, Rooney. Fernandes would change into simply the sixth Manchester United captain to elevate a European trophy.

Victory would see the membership’s third trophy in three years. Champions League soccer. Semblance of the stability and success that was a staple in the SAF period. The Red Devils supporters can be roaring Fernandes’ identify as the 30-year-old steps onto the pitch on Wednesday evening.

Legacy. Glory. Eternity. The Portuguese magnifico can have all of it with only one win. But, even when he doesn’t, it issues little. Bruno Fernandes made the Theatre dream again. Something no trophy can ever match. And for that, Old Trafford will stay eternally grateful.