Rio Ferdinand has now insisted that one Premier League debate around Bruno Fernandes is not a fair measuring stick of the Manchester United midfielder’s impact.
Bruno Fernandes is now tied with former Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry for the Premier League assist record.
The 31-year-old Manchester United captain notched up his 20th Premier League assist on Sunday afternoon in the Nottingham Forest match at Old Trafford.
Fernandes has only one Premier League fixture left in the 2025-26 campaign to eclipse the record that he now shares with Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
CONGRATULATIONS to Bruno Fernandes – The 2025/26 Football Writers Award Player of the Year… let us know your REACTION!
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Rio Ferdinand on the comparisons between Man Utd star Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry
Bruno Fernandes has picked up an impressive 12 Premier League assists in the last 16 matches that have been overseen by Red Devils interim boss Michael Carrick.
The Portugal midfielder saw his attacking influence unlocked in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign after Michael Carrick restored him to the No 10 role.
Fernandes’ creative input had been curtailed earlier in the 2025-26 campaign after Ruben Amorim deployed him in a deep midfield role for Manchester United.
Speaking after Man Utd’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, Rio Ferdinand defended Fernandes from comparisons with both Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
“Yeah, but I get why [about Fernandes being disrespected],” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“I think the opposing fans are going to say, ‘It’s Henry, man.’ Henry is one of the greatest, if not, the greatest Premier League players [of all time].
“De Bruyne has won countless trophies [with] Man City and done ridiculous things as well. They’ve had their career. Kevin De Bruyne is basically almost finished.
“He’s gone to Napoli, but Bruno is still playing. It always happens that while you’re still playing, you probably never get the flowers you deserve.”
HOW impressed are you by Bruno Fernandes equalling Premier League history!
Can he go on to break the record?🤔
Rio Ferdinand pinpoints what Bruno Fernandes has had to face that Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry did not
De Bruyne and Henry are considered two of the best Premier League players of all time after their respective impacts at Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, United legend Ferdinand has argued that Fernandes’ teammates have been nowhere near the quality that De Bruyne and Henry have both benefited from.
“But when he’s [Fernandes] gone, when it’s all said and done, especially when, [as] I said, when you look at what Thierry Henry and what Kevin De Bruyne had to play with, the players are differing in levels of players that they played with who were getting on the end of their chances,” he continued.
“It’s a massive, massive difference because Man United, on the end of the chances that Bruno had, he’s a very different level of player.
“No disrespect to what those guys had. When you’re talking De Bruyne, he’s playing the ball into people like [Sergio] Aguero or [Erling] Haaland.
“You know what I mean? Like, it’s crazy.”
Following United’s encounter with Forest at Old Trafford, the Red Devils will now travel to the Amex to face Brighton on the final day of the Premier League season.
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