Bruno Fernandes hits back at critics after Keane and Neville laid into 'bluffer'

BRUNO FERNANDES has slammed criticism he has taken from his detractors, with Roy Keane and Gary Neville having been critical of the Manchester United captain.

Fernandes , 31, has played a focal role for United ever since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 as he has since amassed a total of 99 goals and 86 assists in 294 appearances.

3 Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes hit back at critics Credit: Mark Pain/Alamy Live News

3 Man Utd legend Roy Keane questioned Fernandes' leadership Credit: Alan Martin/Colorsport/Shutterstock

3 Man Utd legend Gary Neville claimed Fernandes plays like it's 20 years ago Credit: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

However, even the playmaker isn't immune to criticism amid Man Utd 's continuous downward spiral as he is the team's skipper.

Keane , 54, recently criticised the Portugal international's leadership.

The legendary midfielder went as far as to suggest the ex-Sporting star and his team-mates play like "bluffers".

Keane told Sky Sports: "Bruno does front up but it's kind of just soundbites now.

"Real good team-mates put demands on each other. These aren't team-mates, they are bluffers."

Neville , 50, went viral a year ago when he criticised Fernandes' displays under former manager Erik ten Hag.

The United legend claimed the Portuguese star plays like it's 20 years ago .

Neville said: "Any team that is anything at all, you see repeated pass patterns and combinations.

"I think about Bruno Fernandes , and I watched him on Sunday, he’s obviously the best player in terms of talent – but he’s everywhere.

"He must be being told to go and do what he wants. I don’t think Bruno Fernandes is that type of guy.

"If, for Pep Guardiola, a player plays out of position for a minute or two, he’s on the sideline saying, ‘Get back into your position’.

"And I think Ten Hag is giving him the freedom to go everywhere, and actually that means you can never have a combination or a pattern – when you’ve got your main midfield player everywhere on the pitch.

"It’s almost like 20 years ago, where your No10 was given licence to play.

"That’s gone now, you have to fit within a combination and pattern system and attacking shape, and that’s the bit that I think Bruno is told he must be able to go everywhere.

"I never see Ten Hag going up to him and telling him to get back into position."

However, Fernandes insists he doesn't pay attention to any sort of negativity.

The attacking midfielder doesn't mind people expressing their opinion about him but suggested it would be best if others took the time to get to know him first before speaking ill about him.

Fernandes told the BBC when asked what people most commonly get wrong about him: "People have an opinion about me and I can't change that. It's the way people want to judge you about what they see on the pitch, some of them what they see on television, some of them what they see on interviews.

'I can't change that. They have the freedom to think the way they want about me, as I have the same freedom to think about them.

"But what I don't do is I don't judge people until I know them. They can have an opinion about me and that's fine.

"We all have different opinions, that's why life is so good and so different. Because if we all think the same way it will be so boring.'