“It’s a huge privilege”: Beaming Fernandes reveals classy act from United icon after landmark achievement

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has opened up on the special message he received from club icon David Beckham after breaking his long-standing assist record Record breaker Fernandes has been in excellent form for United this season, with the club on the cusp of sealing a sensational return to the Champions League. As usual, Fernandes has led from the front, consistently delivering decisive performances and making vital contributions. Last month, he stole the spotlight as United cruised to a 3-1 victory over Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. While he didn’t get on the score sheet, Fernandes pulled the strings, assisting two of the goals. He delivered a superb corner-kick into the path of Casemiro, who rose the highest to head home the opener just eight minutes after the interval. Fernandes then released Matheus Cunha into space with a sublime ball, inviting the Brazilian forward to plant an equally brilliant finish into the bottom corner, well past the reach of Emi Martinez. Benjamin Sesko would go on to score a third and secure the victory for the Red Devils. The two assists saw Fernandes match and then surpass Beckham to become the United player with the most assists (16) in a single Premier League season. Beckham had been holding the record since the 1999/2000 campaign. Fernandes is also within touching distance of the Premier League assist record (20), which is jointly held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. The skipper spoke to club media and revealed that Beckham privately reached out to him to offer his congratulations. Fernandes also opened up on the prospect of catching up to De Bruyne and Henry, with seven games left to play. Fernandes’ remarks The Portugal international said, “Seeing your name up there with them is great. It’s fantastic. It’s a massive feeling, a very good feeling, but it doesn’t change much in terms of what I want.” “The assists came as they did, and I think the way I created the chances has always been the same, not just this year, but now everyone is more positive, everyone is getting more goals, also from the team. So it adds up that if I create more, I will get more assists because they’re scoring the goals.” He added, “At the end of the day, the assist only comes if the finish is good. Sometimes, you could do a five-yard pass, just very easy, and someone can put it in the top corner. Sometimes, you need to do a better pass for someone just to have a tap-in.” “I’m very grateful to see my name up there with certain names and obviously you spoke about David Beckham. For me, it’s a huge privilege to be even involved in something with his name.” “I had the opportunity to speak with him. He texted me privately on Instagram and obviously I felt very grateful for that, because he’s someone that probably everyone around my age has seen and looked up to and tried to replicate everything he was doing on the pitch.” Fernandes further stated, “Obviously, the other two names you said have been considered by people as the greatest of the Premier League.” “Thierry Henry is probably the player that comes up there with Cristiano Ronaldo most of the time, and Kevin, everyone knows what he’s achieved, how much he gave to the Premier League and how good he was. I’m very grateful to be up there with these kinds of players.” Fernandes and United are next in action on Monday when they welcome Leeds United to Old Trafford. Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!