Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has publicly refuted comments made by former United legend Roy Keane, asserting that the criticisms were based on false statements.
Fernandes stated that Keane had “put untrue words in my mouth” during a recent podcast appearance and expressed his intention to contact the former captain to clarify the matter.
Keane had described Fernandes as the centre of a “circus act” following United’s 3–2 win over Nottingham Forest, implying that the Portuguese playmaker was prioritising a personal assists record over the team’s interests.
During the podcast The Overlap, Keane said, “After the [Forest] game he got interviewed and he said, the captain of Manchester United said: ‘A few times, I probably should have shot but I made them passes.’ Wow. How can your mindset of a footballer be going into a match to be about an individual record?”
“He won’t be winning trophies, not with that mindset of the team,” Keane added.
Fernandes’ post‑match comments had been, “There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot. I’m very happy for the assist, but more than that, I’m happy for the win and to finish the season on a high.”
The former Republic of Ireland captain appeared to have misinterpreted Fernandes’ remarks rather than intentionally distorting the truth.
Fernandes secured a record‑equalling 20th assist of the season in United’s victory over Forest and then surpassed the mark on the final day in the win at Brighton, moving past the records held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
Expressing his frustration over Keane’s comments, Fernandes told the podcast The Diary of a CEO: “I don’t mind criticism. I always take it, but what I don’t like is when people lie about things. The words Keane put in my mouth have not been said, and that’s unacceptable.”
He added, “I accept his criticism, I accept that he might like me as a player or not, but I do not accept that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said.”
Fernandes is not the first United player to confront a club legend; earlier in the season, Lisandro Martinez had a dispute with Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt after they commented on his height and ability to compete with Erling Haaland in the Manchester derby.
