Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes has lifted the lid on the one quality he credits for transforming him into the world-class performer he is today.
“Biggest strength”
Fernandes enjoyed a brilliant 2025/26 season, playing a crucial role as United finished third and secured Champions League football.
His tally of 21 assists was nothing short of remarkable, surpassing the Premier League record that had been jointly shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The playmaker also netted nine Premier League goals. He scooped up the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, adding to his tally of the Premier League Player of the Season, United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and the club’s Players’ Player of the Year prizes.
Fernandes spoke on the Beast Mode On Podcast and highlighted his scanning as something he feels has taken him to another level.
“I was lucky enough in my career sense, and more when I came to the Premier League, to have players that understood I will see the picture before. So they make the run a little bit earlier because they know I’m going to see that.”
“I realised that when I went to Sporting, that was the step that I made to become even better. I played with players there like Raphinha, who was one of the players I got in with the pass, because he was also someone that understood; ‘Bruno can go one touch here so I have to go’. That helped me a lot to have players in front of me that also recognise that I’m going to read it quicker.”
The Portugal international continued, “I have to visualise the game. Whenever the ball is being played I need to be looking around to see what’s going on, what’s going to be the pass.”
“The biggest strength in my career has always been the way I think and the way I do things a little bit quicker because I’m not the fastest, not the strongest, so I need to visualise things before and try to make them happen before some people realise I’m going to do that.”
“I think that was my main skill and my main thing to become a top footballer on the top level.”
Competing with Sesko
Fernandes also made it clear that he is constantly striving to improve, and for him, that means pushing himself in competition with his teammates.
He shared an example of testing his pace against the lightning-quick Benjamin Sesko.
“When you play is when you get better. I’ve always dealt with my training sessions as a game all the time. That was probably the difference to become even better. I’m not satisfied to just go to training. I need to train at maximum capacity.”
“Growing up, in my time, you play in the streets a lot. I was always one of the youngest, because my brother is five years older than me, so I was playing against him and his friends. I got used to getting beat but also to beating people who were stronger than me. So I’m never afraid to put my foot in or to go into duels.”
“Last season in training I had to do a 50-yard run with Benjamin Sesko. I started two steps earlier and he was behind me so I was pushing myself and I beat my highest top speed that was 35.5 [km/h]. He got to 37 [km/h] something at the end so that’s why he caught me at the end but I was so proud of myself because Ben is such a strong and physical player, and very quick.”
“But this is the thing I like in training, to go up against the ones that I know are better than me at something so I can test myself.”
Criticism
Criticism is an inherent aspect of representing United and Fernandes has become well acquainted with it, having faced intense scrutiny from former players and media figures.
He famously had a public disagreement with Roy Keane last season, though the two later reconciled and put their differences behind them.
Fernandes said, “I’ve always said to myself to believe in yourself. Because throughout your career, you’re going to have moments where people will doubt how good you are, or how good you can be.”
“That will always be there, from the beginning to the end. It’s not going to change. Doesn’t how much you show it. Doesn’t matter how many of these (points at the PFA Player of the Year trophy) you get. People are always going to doubt.”
“At a high level you always, week by week and sometimes every three days you’re going to get some credit, other days you’re going to get some bad words. You just have to deal with that and believe in yourself because if you get in certain places it’s because you’ve done something right.”
Fernandes and his teammates are next in action on Sunday when they go away to Everton.
Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
