Bruno Fernandes Responds to Roy Keane’s Criticism Amid Record-Breaking Season

Manchester United finished the 2025/26 season positively, securing third place in the Premier League and qualifying for the Champions League under manager Michael Carrick.

A significant factor in this success has been the performances of captain Bruno Fernandes, who has reaffirmed his status as one of the most influential midfielders in world football.

The Portuguese international concluded the season by breaking the Premier League single-season assist record on the final day against Brighton & Hove Albion, recorded during a cross for Patrick Dorgu that marked his 21st assist of the season.

Fernandes had previously equalized the former record, held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, during a match against Nottingham Forest.

However, despite this milestone, the United captain faced criticism from former club captain Roy Keane.

Keane expressed his concerns regarding comments made by Fernandes after the Forest game, suggesting that the midfielder prioritized personal accolades over team victories.

On the Stick to Football podcast, Keane stated: “What I heard at United at the weekend, honestly, I was raging with it. The whole chat about his assists… Everyone, the players were [talking about it], the game was about his assists. That’s the whole thing.

“After the game he got interviewed and he said, the captain of Manchester United, said ‘A few times, I probably should have… shot but I made the passes.’ Wow. How can your mindset be not to win the match but be about an individual record?”

Bruno Fernandes Labels Roy Keane a Liar

Fernandes has publicly responded to these criticisms, expressing frustration over the interpretation of his remarks.

In an appearance on the Diary of the CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, he stated: “I don’t mind criticism. I always take criticism from everyone and never reply to anyone whatsoever.

“People have an opinion, they think it’s good, bad or whatever. What I don’t like is when people lie about things, and in this case, what you said about Roy Keane, basically, what he said is a lie.

“Luckily for me everything is on record; imagine if it wasn’t, then people will think Bruno is always the guy going for the assist. I even asked Ole his number to text him to have a word with him, to say ‘I don’t mind the criticism, I don’t like when people lie about the things that I say’ because this goes over the top of the things I think are acceptable.”

Fernandes revealed he even reached out to former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær for Keane’s contact information, hoping to discuss the issue directly.

This response comes during what many consider to be the best individual season of Fernandes’ career. In addition to breaking the assist record, the 31-year-old has also claimed the FWA Footballer of the Year award, the Premier League Player of the Season prize, and the Coca-Cola Playmaker of the Season award following his pivotal role in guiding Carrick’s side back to Europe’s elite competition.