Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes names one player he wanted the Red Devils to sign before he decided to join Arsenal. Bruno Fernandes was crowned the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year for his performances this season.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice finished second on the list in a vote by the members of the FWA, which comprises around 900 football journalists. Speaking after the award win to Joel Beya on his YouTube channel, Fernandes spoke in detail about the season he's had with Manchester United.
When asked about what he admires about Rice, he highlighted some of the Gunners' star's traits and admitted that he was disappointed that the England international didn't join the Red Devils. He said:
"I admire him a lot as a person because I know him from the Algarve, when we were training together. We all knew the qualities he had from his time at West Ham, and I've always thought Rice is a player to play for Man United.
"I was really sad when he chose to go to Arsenal. I didn't know if he had the opportunity to come to Manchester United, but I always thought that he would be a perfect fit for our club. Not just for the player but also the person he is, and the professional that he is."
He then insisted that he'd have been happy if Rice had won the award instead of him this season. He added:
"I'm happy I won this award, but if Declan had won it, it would have been well deserved too. I don't think this award is for the best player in the league, but in a season where you have to choose between players, numbers carry a lot of weight in the decisions, and I could add that to my game.
"For Dec its difficult to get that because he plays a little bit deeper. If he'd won this award I would have messaged him and sent him my congratulations."
In 35 appearances for the Gunners, Rice has scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists, and is on the verge of breaking their 22-year wait to lift the PL trophy.
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