Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United’s most important player since joining the club in January 2020. The Portugal midfielder has played through good times and bad at Old Trafford, often carrying the team on his shoulders.
The 31-year-old has won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award four times. He is now club captain and remains the player United look to when they need something special.
His seasons at United, from worst to best.
6th place: 2021-22
Managers: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick (caretaker), Ralf Rangnick (interim)
Appearances: 46 in all competitions
Goals: 10
Assists: 14
Did United win silverware? No
Did United qualify for the Champions League? No (finished 6th)
Standout moment: Hat-trick against Leeds United on the opening weekend
This was a difficult season for almost everyone at United. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo on deadline day changed the balance of the squad. Fernandes stopped getting the same benefit of the doubt from referees, and his ability to win penalties dried up.
He missed an important penalty in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in September. That game is seen by many as the start of Solskjaer’s downfall. The Norwegian was sacked in November.
Despite the chaos, Fernandes still managed to finish as the top assist provider in the Champions League with seven. It shows that even in his worst season, he found a way to produce respectable numbers.
5th place: 2023-24
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Appearances: 48 in all competitions
Goals: 15
Assists: 13
Did United win silverware? Yes (FA Cup)
Did United qualify for the Champions League? No (finished 8th)
Standout moment: Disguised assist for Kobbie Mainoo in the FA Cup final that tricked the cameraman
Fernandes was named club captain before this season. A major injury crisis meant Ten Hag could not turn United into “the best transition team in the world” as he wanted. So it fell to Fernandes to keep things together.
His goal against Liverpool at Old Trafford summed up his season. He spotted goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher off his line, took a loose pass from Jarell Quansah, and lobbed him from inside the centre-circle. It was the kind of goal very few players would even try.
Off the pitch, we learned more about his importance. He attended academy matches and offered to pay for club staff to travel to the FA Cup final.
4th place: 2024-25
Managers: Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy (interim), Ruben Amorim
Appearances: 57 in all competitions
Goals: 19
Assists: 19
Did United win silverware? No
Did United qualify for the Champions League? No (finished 15th)
Standout moment: Crucial penalty in the 5-4 win against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final
This was a horrible season for the club. United finished 15th in the league. Manager Ruben Amorim described the team as “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.”
But it was a season of personal growth for Fernandes. Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation meant he had to learn a new role as a box-to-box midfielder. He got better at knowing when to try risky passes and when to keep possession. He also improved at receiving and carrying the ball under pressure.
The season ended with defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. Former Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou later said his game plan was built around stopping Fernandes. “I knew if we shut down Bruno, they weren’t going to score,” he said.
3rd place: 2019-20
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Appearances: 22 in all competitions
Goals: 12
Assists: 8
Did United win silverware? No
Did United qualify for the Champions League? Yes (finished 3rd)
Standout moment: Craftily won penalty in a 3-0 win against Aston Villa
This was pure, unfiltered Fernandes. He joined in January 2020 and walked into a team desperate for creativity. He played as the No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation and was a huge upgrade on what United had before.
His style was simple: get the ball forward as quickly as possible. It worked immediately. He won the Premier League Player of the Month award for May and June. He also won his first Player of the Season award at United.
It was only half a season, but it set the tone for everything that followed.
2nd place: 2022-23
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Appearances: 59 in all competitions
Goals: 14
Assists: 15
Did United win silverware? Yes (League Cup)
Did United qualify for the Champions League? Yes (finished 3rd)
Standout moment: Goal in a 2-0 win against Spurs that showed the feel-good factor was back
This was a rare season when both Fernandes and United were good at the same time. The team did not always need his playmaking brilliance to win games. But that does not mean he coasted.
He wore the No 8 shirt after Juan Mata left. He also wore the captain’s armband for most games because Harry Maguire had fallen down the pecking order.
Marcus Rashford won the Player of the Season award this year. But Fernandes still maintained his high standards throughout.
1st place: 2020-21
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Appearances: 58 in all competitions
Goals: 28
Assists: 17
Did United win silverware? No
Did United qualify for the Champions League? Yes (finished 2nd)
Standout moment: Scoring a winning penalty after the final whistle had blown against Brighton
This was Fernandes’ first full season at United. Games were still played behind closed doors because of the pandemic. In that setting, he was unstoppable.
He took over from Paul Pogba as the team’s most important player. United would find small weaknesses in opponents and attack them at speed. Fernandes was at the centre of everything.
He won Premier League Player of the Month for both November and December. United established themselves in the top four and pushed for the title at times.
The only low point was the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal. He struggled against their man-to-man press and United lost on penalties. It should have been a season with silverware, but it remains the best version of Bruno Fernandes we have seen.
How do you rank them?
Fernandes has now played more than six years at Old Trafford. He has earned praise and criticism for his all-action style. He always wants to move the ball forward, which can sometimes mean giving it away at bad moments.
But there is no one quite like him. No United player has offered as much over this period.
Two Europa League final defeats mean his trophy cabinet does not fully reflect his output. But his importance to the club is clear. As this season continues, he remains the beating heart of the team.