Watford legend Troy Deeney has hailed Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, saying the Portuguese midfielder has raised his levels at the club since the arrival of Ruben Amorim.
Fernandes scored from a free kick to give the Red Devils the lead in their game against Arsenal on Sunday. However, the game ended in a 1-1 draw as Declan Rice came through for the Gunners in the 74th minute.
The midfielder has been a consistent performer for the Red Devils since arriving from Sporting CP in 2020 and even more so under Amorim.
Manchester United are yet to find their rhythm in the Premier League this season, lying in 14th position in the table, but Fernandes appears to stand alone in being able to hold his head high for churning out consistent performances.
Picking his Team of the Week on BBC, Deeney hailed the midfielder for his newfound character after Amorim arrived at the club.
He also pointed out that the Portuguese is the kind of player the team needs to be built around.
He wrote, “I have been critical of Fernandes over the years. He is the type of person that got away with it when the team was poor under Erik ten Hag.
“Since the new manager has come in, he has shown a completely new level of character. If Manchester United want to get to where they aspire to be, then they need this guy. They cannot get rid of him. It was also unbelievable technique for the free kick.”
The former Sporting CP man has scored eight goals and provided six assists in 25 games since Amorim took charge.
He has been pivotal to the Red Devils’ better displays under his countryman’s watch this season.
