Former Manchester United teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane have clashed over whether Bruno Fernandes merits inclusion in the club’s greatest ever starting lineup.
The pair appeared alongside Wayne Rooney and Ian Wright on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, where the Portuguese midfielder’s standing at Old Trafford sparked a lively exchange.
Whilst Neville championed the 31-year-old captain’s contributions, Keane remained unconvinced that Fernandes belongs among United’s legendary figures.
The debate comes as Fernandes continues his outstanding campaign under interim manager Michael Carrick, with the playmaker delivering a two-assist performance in last Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Aston Villa that lifted United to third in the Premier League table.
Keane acknowledged Fernandes’ impact but maintained the midfielder falls short when measured against his former colleagues in the United engine room.
“Yeah, but ultimately, you’re playing for Manchester United,” Keane stated on the podcast.
The Irishman referenced midfield greats Paul Ince and Paul Scholes when explaining his reluctance to elevate Fernandes to all-time status.
Roy Keane would rather have Paul Scholes with him at Man United
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PA
“We’re talking about players who don’t necessarily go on to win stuff, but when we are experienced at United, and if you’re saying, Incey, Scholesey, all these lads, and I’m thinking if we’re in a game and Bruno’s in our team and not in our team, I still think you’d be rubbing your hands up against Bruno,” he explained.
“I just think I don’t compare them to the lads we’ve just mentioned.
“And maybe that’s because I got loyalty to them, lads.”
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Neville took a different stance, arguing that Fernandes has flourished since being restored to his natural attacking midfield position.
“What I would say is, I think playing him in a deeper role in midfield was, to be fair, not right,” the former United right-back said on Stick to Football.
The Sky Sports pundit believes the No 10 berth represents the ideal deployment for the Portuguese international.
Since Carrick assumed the interim role at Old Trafford, Fernandes has been devastating in the advanced position, contributing eight assists across his last nine league appearances.
That remarkable run of creativity has coincided with United’s surge up the standings under their caretaker boss.
Bruno Fernandes has been sensational for Manchester United in recent weeks
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PAFernandes has proven transformative for the Red Devils since his arrival in 2020, amassing 105 goals and 103 assists during his time at the club.
The United captain currently sits on 16 Premier League assists this season, leaving him just four short of matching the competition’s all-time record.
That benchmark is jointly held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
With eight top-flight fixtures remaining in the campaign, Fernandes has a genuine opportunity to equal or surpass that historic mark.
