Over the course of the last six years, Bruno Fernandes has quickly established himself as a legend within the Manchester United ranks.
He went from a prospect out of Sporting Lisbon to an integral piece of the puzzle at Old Trafford, and despite all the turbulence that the club has had to endure in that time, the ever-present has been Bruno Fernandes.
The 31-year-old has been able to position the Red Devils on his back and carry them to heights that, in the eyes of many fans, they simply would not have been able to reach without him. It’s perhaps easy for rival fans to dismiss him or try to diminish his accomplishments, but sometimes, you just need to sit back and admire a body of work that includes one FA Cup, one League Cup and two trips to the Europa League final, in a spell that most would consider to be one of their worst in recent memory.
One thing to focus on at this moment, though, is what he’s currently producing in a season that started off like an absolute nightmare. Michael Carrick’s influence has been substantial, and nobody can take away from that, but Bruno Fernandes is taking them to the verge of a Champions League return, which seemed unthinkable before Christmas.
The Bruno surge
Right now, the big focus is on the rest of the season, with United pushing to secure a top four spot. They are priced as 4/7 favourites to win their next outing against Leeds on April 13th, and if you fancy backing them, you can use this betting calculator to see how much you could stand to earn. Alas, it can’t hurt to look back and marvel at some of Fernandes’ stats thus far.
In terms of goals, Bruno sits with eight goals to his name in the Premier League and currently, only Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo are on a higher goals tally with nine. The real headline, though, comes from how he has been able to help those around him.
Bruno Fernandes has assisted 16 goals in the league since August, which is double Rayan Cherki, who is 2nd in the standings. It somewhat flies under the radar as to just how productive he is, but in a campaign that has seen United once again be at the forefront of many jokes, the Portuguese sensation has made it his mission to fight back against the naysayers.
The future
In terms of the run-in, there are a handful of tricky looking fixtures for them to navigate, and Fernandes will obviously have one eye on the World Cup this summer. Still, so long as he can stay fit and remain at the core of what Carrick is trying to accomplish, there is no reason to suggest he can’t continue to take this squad to a new level.
Plus, given his age, you would have to imagine that he is looking at Manchester as his long term future – helping to pave the way for the next wave of world class talent to come through the doors of Carrington.
Up there with Cantona for effect on the squad.