Roy Keane lifts lid on “important” phone call with Bruno Fernandes after United’s captain called him out

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes enjoyed a wonderful individual campaign, finishing with a new Premier League record for assists made in a single season. Highly coveted individual awards have followed, but the Portuguese magnifico’s work was not wholly appreciated by a former United skipper, who was quick to pour cold water on Bruno’s achievements. Roy Keane labelled Fernandes’ attempts for the record as a “circus act” before misquoting the midfielder when he spoke after the Brighton game about taking shots on when he should have passed. Keane claimed Fernandes had it the other way around, accusing him of passing instead of shooting for the betterment of his record rather than the benefit of the team. Fernandes rightly hit back, saying that whilst he accepts criticism, he does not like pundits lying about him, before Keane responded with a mystic social media post clearly aimed at the United man. Friends again? The public spat threatened to take the shine off Bruno’s accolades, with more focus being paid to the war of words than the outstanding on-field achievements. However, as reported by the Irish News, Keane has revealed a private conversation between the pair after the back-and-forth that might have put the sorry situation to bed once and for all. Speaking on the Stick to Football Podcast, Keane explained details of what he described as a “nice, mature conversation” that appears to have squashed the beef. “No, there was a reaction after what we said on the podcast a few weeks ago and he reached out to me and wanted a chat… I called him and we had a lovely chat. A lovely chat about a bit of everything, but it was nice because when we do podcasts or games, sometimes you think you say something afterwards and you communicate something and it doesn’t come across properly, so people get upset and he said he wanted to talk to me,” he said. Keane added that players have reached out to him in the past regarding comments he has made and whilst he “likes having boundaries with players”, he felt it was “important” that he spoke to the Portugal international on the issue, with the pair enjoying the chat. “There has been lots going on and lots reported. He’s obviously a big player for United, I’m an ex-United player and I think the idea of this communicating and having a proper conversation, I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I think he did as well. Nice chat about a bit of everything and I felt better afterwards,” said Keane. Strange trend Keane’s issue with Fernandes is just one of a long list regarding ex-players and something to do with the current set-up at Old Trafford. Gary Neville has recently responded to criticism from supporters for his punditry and commentary on United games, with fans also questioning Paul Scholes for some verbal attacks on the current crop of players. Granted, there hasn’t been too much to shout about at the Theatre of Dreams, with the halcyon days of the Class of ’92 et al. well and truly in the rearview mirror, but supporters do have the right to feel aggrieved with certain takes from their former heroes. Michael Carrick is the next man charged with changing the landscape at the club after being handed the role of head coach on a permanent basis after a fine spell in interim charge. Whilst Keane has already taken a swipe at Carrick and his wife, his relationship with ex-players and excellent first few months in charge should earn him some respect that hasn’t always been afforded to others. Carrick’s men will be desperate to kick off the new campaign in style and will find out their schedule for the season in the coming weeks. 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 Conner Botterill Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for three years. A lifelong red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology through the Open University. His favourite match attended was the unforgettable night in Paris in 2019 under the guidance of one of his idols, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.