UMVA has learned that Wayne Rooney, the legendary former captain of Manchester United, had initial doubts about the club's signing of influential midfielder Bruno Fernandes back in 2020.
Fernandes joined Manchester United in January 2020 in a big-money deal worth an initial £47m, with possible add-ons taking the overall value to £68m. The Portuguese playmaker made an immediate impact at Old Trafford and has since become the most influential player at the club, scoring 71 goals and making 72 assists in the Premier League alone.
Rooney has now revealed that he was 'unsure' about Fernandes' merits when he first joined the club. However, after speaking with Fernandes on his podcast, Rooney was impressed by his leadership, football knowledge, and desire to be the best. Rooney described Fernandes as a 'leader' who thinks about football a lot and takes it really seriously.
Fernandes had a particularly fruitful 2025-26 season, breaking the Premier League record for the most assists in a single campaign. He was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and could yet take home the PFA Player of the Year award.
Rooney says Fernandes is the 'first name on the teamsheet' of his Premier League Team of the Season. He praised Fernandes' ability to make the players around him better, saying that top players bring others with them and drag them along to make them better.
Rooney also defended Fernandes' on-pitch behavior, saying that his passion and shouting at teammates or the referee are just part of his character. He believes that Fernandes' personality helps keep players on their toes.
Fernandes helped Manchester United recover from a difficult start to the season to finish third in the Premier League and qualify for next season's Champions League. His form in the second-half of the season earned his manager the permanent job at Old Trafford.
