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Steve McManaman has explained the reasons Bruno Fernandes has been omitted from his Team of the Year, while doing a subtle investigation into his penalty record.
The Manchester United superstar has enjoyed an impressive first year in English football, since signing from Sporting in the January window.
After debuting on February 1, Fernandes has become a talisman for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Their goals and assists guided them to the top four last season and they have played a key role in their drive for the title this time around.
In total, the 26-year-old has 43 goals in his first 45 games for the club, including an assist in his final 2020 game against Wolves.
But despite that remarkable form, the former Liverpool star McManaman turned him down from his 11th year end, claiming that he would pick Kevin De Bruyne over him “every day.”
Along with the Manchester City star, the Amazon Prime insider selected Liverpool duo Jordan Henderson and Fabinho for their role in the Reds’ historic title-winning campaign in 2019/20.
Asked about leaving Fernandes out, he said: “I think it’s been amazing for them, really, but my team of the year needed to be with Fabinho and Henderson because they won the league by many, many points.
(Image: Sunday Mirror)
“Then I launched Kevin De Bruyne because I think he is fantastic.
“If I have to choose between Kevin De Bruyne as an attacking midfielder or Bruno Fernandes, De Bruyne always wins.”
McManaman then made a soft dig on Fernandes’ record from the spot, with 14 of his goals for the club coming from 12 yards.
He added: “I think he has had an incredible impact for Manchester United, scoring an incredible amount of penalties.”
(Image: POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
However, Fernandes earned a spot in the 2020 final squad, with Peter Crouch and Alan Shearer managing to find a spot for United’s ace.
Reflecting on his freshman year, Fernandes admitted that his only great regret was not being able to bring a large piece of silver to Old Trafford.
He told BT Sport: “I really enjoyed it. I like it [being at] one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“It was a dream come true to come to the Premier League, to get to a club where I have always dreamed of playing.
“Of course, it was best for me when I was able to play and enjoy my games with the fans.
“When I arrived, at that time it was the FA Cup and the Europa League, and we had the opportunity to get into the top four in the league.
“Unfortunately, we came out in two semi-finals but we achieved third place in the league. The only thing I have missed this year are the trophies.
“I don’t have trophies for the club and I’m not happy with that. I hope 2021 can be better that way.”
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