Thierry Henry piled the praise on Manchester United star Bruno Fernandesplaceholder image
Thierry Henry piled the praise on Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes | Sky Sports | Getty Images
The Man Utd captain shone as they defeated Aston Villa in the Premier League at the weekend.
Manchester United might not be the best team in the Premier League, but they can boast they have the best player in the shape of club captain Bruno Fernandes.
The Portugal international has hit such extraordinary heights during his Old Trafford career that it is often easy to take for granted just how good he is consistently. Fernandes went under the radar in a deeper midfield role under former head coach Ruben Amorim, but looks back to his best in an attacking midfield position under Michael Carrick.
Fernandes has made a strong case to be named Premier League Player of the Year and notched another two assists as United defeated Aston Villa at the weekend. Those assists took his tally to 100 across all competitions, as he became only the third player in the club's history to register both a century of goals and assists, after legends Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney.
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Henry piles the praise on Fernandes
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry knows just how hard it is to play at the highest level and has been blown away by Bruno Fernandes in recent weeks. The 31-year-old has been at the heart of their revival under Michael Carrick and pulled the strings as they took a huge step towards Champions League qualification with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend.
Fernandes nonchalantly set up goals for Casemiro and Matheus Cunha during the win, and basked in the spotlight with two very laidback celebrations. While his attitude might be perceived as cocky by some critics, Henry loved what he saw and even coined a new nickname for the Manchester United captain.
“He doesn’t play football, he thinks it. Look at him. He knows he’s good," Henry told Monday Night Football. "My name for him now is Braino Fernandes. I love it. I always liked him. What he’s been doing at Man United in some difficult moments for the team is outstanding!”
He added: "In the second half, he decides: ‘I’ll go and get the ball myself. Like the best kid in school — ‘give me the ball, I want to play forward.’ He moves into different areas, demands the ball, tries combinations, even plays as a nine at times. That’s his mentality. People were amazed by the pass (for the Cunha goal) I was more amazed by what happened before it. At that moment, he looks like he’s not even involved. But he already knows where everyone is.
"Why would he run into a situation where he’s physically weaker? Instead, he moves into a position where he can see everything, a three-quarter view of the pitch. Now he has time. Now he can deliver. If you’re Casemiro, you give him the ball, because he’s the best player in that moment. He puts his teammate in the perfect situation to use his strength, running in behind, while he uses his own strength: vision.”
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