Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes on his loyalty, wanting to win trophies and leadership
Bruno Fernandes believes he can still win trophies with Manchester United, despite a difficult period for the club; on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the captain also discussed his leadership and how Man Utd has changed since he arrived in January 2020
Thursday 18 December 2025 18:04, UK
Bruno Fernandes has discussed his loyalty to Manchester United, saying he believes the club can return to former glories and win multiple trophies.
The Man Utd captain appeared on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, which was recorded before his explosive interview with Portuguese TV channel Canal 11 was published, and also revealed he stayed at the club despite two offers to leave.
Fernandes told Canal 11 he was "hurt" that the club were open to offloading him to Saudi Arabia during the summer.
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But speaking to Ferdinand, the midfielder says the club can win regular silverware, and he would not have stayed as long as he has if he did not believe it was possible.
Fernandes said: "Loyalty in football before was like [Francesco] Totti at Rome, [Ryan] Giggs at United, [Paolo] Maldini at Milan, so when I came to the club, apart from loving being here and loving the club, I think my loyalty was in the toughest periods and I could have left two times.
"The club said 'no, we need you' and I said 'OK, you gave me something, I will give you something'. The time at the club has not been as I wanted because I wanted to lift trophies and I haven't lifted as many as I should and could.
"But at the same time, I think everything I've done for the club was still very important and I'm not taking anything away from other players that were here. When we struggled the most, I stayed present to the club and I hope everyone at the club is aware of that because the chances I had were very good.
"I'm very aware that I could have gone a different path and probably won more trophies and people talking about me in a different way because I've had trophies into my cabinet. Nowadays people talk more like you are a better player or a worse player if you win or you lose trophies.
"When I speak about going and winning trophies, I stayed here because I think I still can win trophies here. I wouldn't have stayed here if the club hasn't told me our aim is still to be the highest we can be, get back to winning trophies, get back to be the club we were before.
"If that was not the aim then yes, I wouldn't have stayed here, but because I know the aim of the club is still to get back to where they want to be and where I want the club to be, that's why I came to the club in the first place. If I can help to get back there, that's all I want to do."
Fernandes on his leadership: 'I run as much as I moan!'
Fernandes is often the focal point of any Man Utd performance, whether that is having a hand in the goals or his passionate on-field reactions.
That has often been the case since his arrival at Old Trafford in January 2020, with Fernandes also offering an insight into how his team-mates help him maintain the club's standards.
He said: "As a captain, obviously you're going to get more attention, stick and everything. But that comes with the club also - it's not just by the armband.
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"I haven't changed the way I was for the way I'm now because I've got the armband. When Erik [Ten Hag] chose me to be the captain, he knew what type of captain I was. I know I lead by example, because I do everything is needed to do on the training pitch. I train as hard as I can.
"I can moan as much as people think, but I run more than I moan - I'm pretty sure of that. So I think I'm still an example of the way things have to be done for the club. The standard.
"Then I think I treat everyone as I would like to be treated and when I talk about everyone, I don't see anyone below me. For me, everyone's in the same level. It could be me, it could be the people that serve us at the restaurant, the chefs, the nutritionists, the staff.
"No one is below and no one is above me. Obviously, apart from the bosses, the manager and the other ones that are above the managers, but still, the managers, they say 'guys, I'm in the same level as you, I just have more responsibility and I have to take the decisions. That's where I'm above you'.
"And as a captain, I have sometimes to make decisions on things. But we have a leadership group that is me, Harry [Maguire], Licha [Lisandro Martinez], Tom [Heaton], [Noussair] Mazroui and Diogo [Dalot].
"We then add players in the situation that are not in the leadership group, like Casemiro and Luke Shaw, because we also want players with big responsibilities to have a say.
"From that six [of the leadership group], the message has to be clear for everyone else. We have to become a little bit of a bigger personality than the other ones, because we need to make the rules clear for everyone.
"But that's not just me, it's the leadership group that has to put a stamp in place, like, 'guys, this is what we're going to do and mandatory for us. This is the way, the path and what we have to have to play at this club'."
'The current squad has a very good energy'
There has been plenty of change at Man Utd in the almost six years since Fernandes joined. He has played under six managers - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ten Hag and currently, Ruben Amorim, on a permanent basis, with interim spells for Ralf Rangnick, Michael Carrick and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
There has been silverware, including the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, as well as success - and a lack thereof - in Europe.
On what has changed since he first walked into the dressing room in 2020, Fernandes said: "There were a lot of experienced players. You had David [De Gea], Nema [Nemanja Matic], Juan [Mata].
"Paul [Pogba] was already a big player. Jesse [Lingard] was a big player at the time already, you had Rashy [Marcus Rashford]. Then we'd come with a mix of youngest.
"I think everything has changed in the world of football in the last, not just five years, but also the years I've been in football. Nowadays, the young ones put the music [on] in the dressing room.
"But I really like the mix we have in the dressing room [now] because it makes me feel very young, the energy they have, the way we involve everyone together, and not looking at age difference, who's been here longer, who's been here less.
"We don't have that thing of who's more important, who's less important... The energy is very good."
Head to the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel to watch the full interview.
