“Plays a little bit like…”: Bryan Robson says Bruno Fernandes reminds him of legendary United forward

Manchester United legend Bryan Robson has compared Bruno Fernandes to an iconic former player. The Portuguese maestro is certainly the Red Devils’ best signing in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. The legendary Scot retired in the summer of 2013, and the Premier League giants have struggled to win the league since his exit. United, though, have been on a roll of late under caretaker manager Michael Carrick. The Red Devils are third in the league table after 33 games this season, although Aston Villa and Liverpool are breathing down their neck. If they manage to hold their position, it will only be the fifth time since Sir Alex’s retirement that they have managed to finish in the top three. United have registered eight wins and two draws in their 12 games under Carrick, who is also in contention for the full-time job. A key ingredient in the Red Devils’ recent rise has been an inspired Bruno Fernandes. The Best No. 10 in the Premier League? Fernandes has created the most chances in the league this season and has also registered the most assists (18) so far. He is now the United player with the most assists in a Premier League campaign and could make further history before the end of the season. Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry hold the record for the most assists (20) in a Premier League season and Fernandes has five games to set a new record. The Portuguese maestro has registered eight goals and 19 assists in 32 games across all competitions for the Red Devils, all but one of which have been starts. Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League30308184-2,618′ FA Cup11-1–90′ EFL Cup10—-45′ Total32318194-2,753′ Source: Transfermarkt. Fernandes operated in a pivot role in the first half of the season under former head coach Ruben Amorim, but it is a testament to his qualities that he managed to influence games even from a deeper position. Carrick reinstated the 31 year old in his natural No. 10 role following his arrival in January, and it is no wonder that the Red Devils are firing on all cylinders since then. The Portuguese has registered 106 goals and 105 assists in 322 appearances for United to date, and is already a club legend. However, Robson has now compared the player to another Old Trafford icon. Robson hails Fernandes Speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast, Robson praised Fernandes for his abilities on the ball as well as his leadership qualities. Robson said: “No, he’s a top class player. I mean, the assists he has, the goals he’s scored for United.” “But a few years ago, when he took over the captaincy, I think he encourages the team all the time. You know, so he’s got a great attitude. Around the training ground, he’s got a great attitude. He’s always polite to people, smile on his face, so he enjoys his football. You know, and that’s a big part of it. You know, having that camaraderie on the training ground. Bruno is very good at that.” The former United skipper was asked if Fernandes would have made it into his team, and he said: “Oh, yeah, we had some class players. But, you know, when you’re successful in the cup competitions, you’ve got to have a really good squad.” “And you look at Bruno, the managers have never left him out. He’s a really fit, lad. He gets about the park and he’s a big influence on the team. So he would have got in at certain stages. I know he plays a little bit like Cantona. That’s his best position. So Eric wouldn’t have been happy like if he’d been on the bench from even one game.” Cantona registered 82 goals and set up 63 more in 185 appearances across all competitions for United. The legendary forward won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two Charity Shields during his time at Old Trafford. Final Thoughts Fernandes’ contract expires in just over 12 months, and his future remains subject to speculation at the moment. However, a recent report relayed by The Peoples Person suggests that United are eager to keep hold of their talismanic skipper. Featured image Michael Regan 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 Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.