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Man Utd captain Fernandes takes on Keane over 'lie'
Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, has responded emphatically to Roy Keane's recent criticism, stating that the former legend misrepresented his pursuit of the Premier League assists record by telling a "lie."
In a recent podcast, Fernandes argued that Keane inaccurately placed "words in my mouth" regarding his commitment to team goals versus individual accolades, and expressed a desire to reach out to Keane for clarification.
Keane cast doubt on Fernandes' mentality during a discussion on The Overlap podcast, claiming that after United's narrow 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, Fernandes appeared more focused on individual stats than team success. Keane highlighted a statement from Fernandes in which he reportedly expressed regret over not shooting more often, suggesting that such a mindset indicated a troubling focus on personal achievements rather than collective triumphs.
However, Fernandes clarified his actual remarks, stating, "There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot. I'm very happy for the assist, but more than that, I'm happy for the win and to finish the season on a high."
It seems Keane may have misinterpreted Fernandes' comments rather than intentionally distorting the truth.
During the match against Nottingham Forest, Fernandes secured his 20th assist of the season, equaling the record before surpassing it in a decisive win over Brighton on the final day, thus setting a new mark that exceeded the previous records held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.
Fernandes articulated his discontent with Keane's comments during an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast: "As I've always said, I don't mind criticism. I've always taken criticism from everyone and anyone and I never reply to anything or whatsoever. People have an opinion; they think it's good, bad, whatever. What I don't like is when people lie about things. In this case, what Roy Keane said is a lie because… either he saw some other interview or he can't say that I said one thing that I've just not said, and luckily for me, everything is on record.
"I accept his criticism; I accept that he might like me as a player or not, like me as a person or not. But what I don't like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said. That's the only thing I don't like."
Fernandes is not the only current United player to express dissatisfaction with past greats of the club. Earlier in the season, Lisandro Martinez engaged in a public disagreement with Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt concerning criticisms about his height and performance against Erling Haaland.
Fernandes keen to 'have a word' with Keane
In the 2025-26 season, Fernandes played a pivotal role for Manchester United, contributing significantly as the team secured a third-place finish in the Premier League and regained a spot in the Champions League after a two-year absence. In addition to registering 21 assists, he also found the net nine times in league play.
His outstanding performances were recognized in May when he was awarded both the Football Writers' Association men's Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season honors.
Fernandes mentioned that he reached out to former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to obtain Keane's contact information, expressing his intent to directly address the matter.
"Obviously, I think I've always shown a lot of respect for Roy Keane and for everything he's done for the club and for everything he's always said," Fernandes stated. "I've never ever had something to say; I've never said something wrong. I've even asked Ole for his number to text him and, to be honest, to have a word with him to say that I don't mind the criticism [but] I don't like when people lie about things that I say.
"Because this is like… it goes a little bit over the top of the things that I think are acceptable. I accept criticism. I understand he can say things that I don't like, but as I said before, that improves me. What I don't like is that people make their own words on what I say, and it's not true.
"Obviously, I prefer Roy Keane to give me some praise sometimes because I've achieved something that not many players have achieved. I recognize that this club is about winning trophies, and I have never lost sight of that."
Keane intensified his critique of Fernandes after the Nottingham Forest match, exacerbating the situation by expressing disbelief at the team's satisfaction with their narrow victory, stating, "They're giving up two goals and everyone's getting all giddy because he's equalled the record for assists. It's mind-boggling. It's a circus act."
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