Former England manager Sam Allardyce made a powerful observation that shows why Bruno Fernandes deserves to be in the same ilk as Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Bruno Fernandes, without question, is the best Manchester United signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era of the Premier League club after his stunning impact.
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The 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder ascended to the Man Utd captaincy under Erik ten Hag and has been a key player for multiple managers since his 2020 move.
Fernandes has netted an impressive 104 times and registered 99 assists in 315 matches for the Red Devils after he arrived under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign.
The expectations on the Portugal international have always been held to a high standard in recent seasons compared with other United first-team players at Old Trafford.
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Sam Allardyce’s conversation with Wayne Rooney brings out the importance of Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes in football
Wayne Rooney linked up with former Everton and West Ham manager Sam Allardyce on the latest episode of the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
During his discussion with United legend Rooney, ‘Big’ Sam singled out Bruno Fernandes to highlight the “difference” in football in the modern age.
Allardyce insisted that Manchester United midfielder Fernandes is the perfect example of Premier League teams now only having one or two “top-class players.”
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“The talent now, I think, more than ever before, one man can change a game for you,” he said.
“One top-class player now more than ever before. Because at Man United, there was, when you go to act [sic] the top-class players, but players that make a difference.
“And at Man United, we’re talking about Fernandes. You know what I mean? And many other clubs.
“If you’ve got more than one, you’re sort of feeling a little bit lucky today in the Premier League.”
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Sam Allardyce’s ‘rare’ comment proves why a comparison between Bruno Fernandes and Man Utd icon Wayne Rooney is fair to make
Fernandes has shown incredible versatility on the pitch, including playing in the two-man midfield pivot under former Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
While the Red Devils skipper’s influence waned by playing in a deeper role, Fernandes still performed at arguably a higher level than most other players would.
Allardyce’s remarks around Fernandes were further laced with the ‘rareness’ of players of his ilk, including centre-forwards in the modern-day age of football.
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“Because they’re so rare,” he continued.
“Like, I’ve talked about centre-forwards. I mean, where are they? In the world. You know what I mean? So, if you’ve got a centre-forward, you’ve got to do your very, very best to keep hold of him.
“He’s got to be your goalscorer. But then you have to share the goals out everywhere else, like you mean, and take responsibility.”
Fernandes’ versatility has only become more visible with Michael Carrick after being restored to his most advantageous position as the No 10 in United’s set-up.
However, the former Sporting CP midfielder shares the same level of adaptability as Rooney, who was not simply restricted to the role of an out-and-out striker.
Rooney is one of Allardyce’s rare examples of a true “top-class” player, who stood out for all of the right reasons for the attributes that he brought to the table.
If Fernandes is part of a ‘rare breed’ in the modern-day format, then he would certainly be alongside Rooney when it comes to being cut from the same cloth.
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