At a Glance
- Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes in red-hot form
- Wayne Rooney couldn’t include him in all-time XI
- The Portuguese playmaker compared to Red Devils icons
Bruno Fernandes may be one of the greatest Manchester United players in recent history but all-time top goalscorer Wayne Rooney does not believe that he enters an all-time XI.
The Liverpool-born United legend said on The Overlap, that “What he’s doing in a poor Man United team, what it’s been for the last few years, he’s been by far the standout player. But to get in the team ahead of some of the players in Man United’s history, I couldn’t put him in there.”
Fernandes has played over 300 games, scored over 100 goals and 100 assists, won a League Cup and an FA Cup, and was named Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year four times—the joint-most ever.
But is that enough to earn him a spot in United’s all-time XI when he has yet to win a Premier League or Champions League title? Cutting through the noise, we take a look at whether Fernandes earns his place among United’s legends.
How Fernandes would get into the XI
To figure out if the Portuguese midfielder belongs in Manchester United’s all-time XI, we first need to decide where he plays. Does he slot in as an attacking midfielder, as he did under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Michael Carrick?
Or could he operate a number 8, the role he filled under fellow countryman Ruben Amorim? He still delivered in the role despite being asked to drop deep.
The other possibility is to push him up as a second striker, a position he has drifted into at times.
The attacking midfielder role is the clear choice. It’s where Fernandes has delivered his best football at United. The other positions will be kept in mind for determining his place in the XI.
Who Fernandes is up against
One frustrating recurring theme when many build “all-time XIs” is the use of players from the 1990s onward. Football has a rich 160-year history, and Manchester United are no different.
Billy Meredith, Joe Spence, Jack Rowley and countless others are a huge part of United’s early history. Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, George Best and the Busby Babes played the most exhilarating football in Europe in the 1950s and 60s.
Bryan Robson, Sammy McIlroy, Martin Buchan, and so many more held the club together through a turbulent 70s and 80s. As such, Fernandes isn’t just competing with legends like Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes — he’s up against Ballon d’Or winners and players who devoted decades to the club.
The attacking midfield candidates include:
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Major Trophies |
| Bobby Charlton | 758 | 249 | N/A | 3 League, 1 FA Cup, 1 European Cup |
| Wayne Rooney* | 559 | 253 | 145 | 5 League, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 1 UCL, 1 UEL, 1 Club World Cup |
| George Best* | 470 | 179 | N/A | 2 League, 1 European Cup |
| Billy Meredith* | 335 | 36 | N/A | 2 League, 1 FA Cup, 2 Charity Shields |
| Paul Scholes* | 718 | 155 | 82 | 11 League, 3 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 2 UCL, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 Club World Cup |
| Eric Cantona* | 185 | 82 | 66 | 4 League, 2 FA Cups, 3 Charity Shields |
- Bobby Charlton
- Wayne Rooney*
- George Best*
- Billy Meredith*
- Paul Scholes*
- Eric Cantona*
*Attacking midfielder is not the player’s natural position
Does Bruno make it?
Bruno Fernandes hasn’t done enough to earn a place in Manchester United’s all-time XI. Whatever formation you choose, the club has produced too many great midfielders for him to rise above.
Even if you wanted to move him back to a number 8, he would not get above the likes of Bryan Robson or Roy Keane. If you wanted to move him forward to play as a false nine or second striker, the likes of Denis Law, Tommy Taylor, Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, and so many more would still feature ahead of him.
Fernandes is an all-time great for Manchester United. Over the past six years, we’ve been lucky enough to watch him dictate games, score crucial goals, and transform the team’s fortunes. But he simply has not done enough to make the all-time XI.
