Erik ten Hag of Manchester United has admitted that Bruno Fernandes’ match-winning goal against Aston Villa showed how motivated critics of his captaincy have made him feel.
Man United head coach Erik ten Hag would want to protect Bruno Fernandes at all cost as he has received horrible criticism over his captaincy a couple of times this season.
Bruno Fernandes was the hero for Manchester United as Erik ten Hag’s men defeated in form Aston Villa at Old Trafford to keep their top-four hope alive.
Man United’s push for a top-four finish in the English Premier League got a boost on Sunday, 30th of April, thanks to a first-half goal from Fernandes, as they beat Aston Villa by 1 goal to nil.
Speaking after the victory at Old Trafford, Ten Hag said; “He is so tough. A couple of weeks ago there were questions about his captaincy, which was crazy because he is such a big leader”.
He added; “He leads by example, gives so much energy to the team, so much desire and determination. If you want to win games and trophies, you need such players”.
Since joining United in 2020, Fernandes has been so influential that he has frequently filled in as captain when regular leader Maguire is unavailable. Maguire, the club captain, has taken on a much smaller role this season, making Fernandes the de facto team captain.
Despite being pictured wearing a protective boot before United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham the week after their FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton, Fernandes was named to the starting XI against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
On the other hand, Maguire is reportedly considering leaving Man United this summer out of fear of never getting back to Erik ten Hag’s first eleven, which could pave the way for the Portugal international to take over the captaincy role permanently.
Despite scoring the game-winning goal against Villa, Fernandes’ mental toughness has been called into question due to his habit of complaining to the referee and his teammates.
What’s next for Bruno Fernandes and Manchester United?
The Red Devils have a tough test this week against the in-form Brighton & Hove Albion team on Thursday. Three days later, Ten Hag’s squad will play at West Ham United.
Who’s Bruno Fernandes?
Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes is a Portuguese professional football player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Portugal’s national team and Premier League club Manchester United.
Bruno Fernandes age;
Fernandes was born on September 8, 1994, in Maia, Portugal.
Bruno Fernandes club career;
Fernandes began his professional career with Novara of the Italian Serie B before moving on to Serie A clubs Udinese in 2013 and Sampdoria in 2016.
With five years of experience in Italy under his belt, he signed with Sporting CP in 2017 and was immediately named captain.
He was selected to the Primeira Liga Team of the Year and named the Primeira Liga Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 after winning back-to-back Taças da Liga and the Taça de Portugal.
He set a record with 33 goals scored across all competitions in 2018–19, making him the all-time leading scorer for a Portuguese midfielder and the all-time scoring leader for a midfielder in Europe.
For an initial €55 million (£47 million), Fernandes signed with Manchester United in January 2020, becoming the second-highest signing for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league at the time.
Bruno Fernandes International career;
Fernandes has played for Portugal at the under-19, under-20, under-21, and under-23 levels of international competition.
In 2016, he competed for Portugal at the Summer Olympics. His senior national team debut came in 2017, and he has since been selected to play for Portugal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, UEFA Euro 2020, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Portugal won the 2019 competition at home and he was named to the tournament’s All-Tournament Team.
Bruno Fernandes’ personal life;
Fernandes is married to his long-time sweetheart Ana Pinho, the couple tied the knot in 2015, they are blessed with two kids. Their first daughter was born on the 30th of January 2017, named Matilde, and a son named Goncalo was born on the 6th of September 2020.
Bruno Fernandes contract and salary;
Bruno Fernandes signed a four years contract with Manchester United, the midfielder earns £240,000 per week including an annual salary reportedly worth 13 million pounds.
