Sammy McIlroy hails red-hot United ace who is the main man for his national team

Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United’s main man for some time, but it now appears that he is also rapidly emerging as Portugal’s talisman. The 31 year old is coming off a fantastic season with the Red Devils, during which he set the record for the most assists in a single Premier League campaign. Fernandes registered 21 assists in the league last season, breaking the previous record of 20, which belonged to Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. That helped the English giants secure third place in the Premier League and qualify for next season’s Champions League. Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League35359215-3,068′ FA Cup11-1–90′ EFL Cup10—-45′ Total37369225-3,203′ Source: Transfermarkt. The Portuguese Magnifico subsequently won the Premier League Player of the Season, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards. Fernandes is now with his national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he has teamed up with Diogo Dalot and club legend Cristiano Ronaldo. With Portugal preparing to lay siege to the coveted trophy, former United midfielder Sammy McIlroy has provided some inside information about the Selecao camp. United skipper Portugal’s main man Speaking on the latest Influencers episode, McIlroy insisted that Fernandes is now the main man for Portugal. He said: “I actually spoke to the manager.” “He was at the [last United home] game, Roberto, and he was saying how influential he is, Bruno, with Portugal. We all know [he is at] United, but even at Portugal, he’s ruling the roost there. He’s the main man.” “Roberto actually thought they have got a chance [in the World Cup]. And what he said was, ‘If they can handle the tournament…’ You know, some people can freeze in a World Cup. Some people, even the experienced players, can actually not perform because of the occasion. And he said, ‘If we do that, we’ve got a chance.’” Cristiano Ronaldo also tipped to shine During the same session, former academy graduate and MUTV commentator Ben Thornley backed Ronaldo to score goals and win the Golden Boot. He said: “I just think that, in the team that he’s playing in, with the creativity he’s got behind him, if they are going to do well, he is going to score goals.” “And with it being his last dance I’ve just got a funny feeling that Ronaldo could do it. I think that it’s the only thing that Ronaldo has got left to win. It’s his last opportunity. He’s got players around him, more so than anybody.” “Bruno Fernandes, who’s arguably one of the best midfielders in the world, if not the, at the moment. And when he’s got other players as well that can join in, I just fancy Portugal to do well in this World Cup.” As the conversation steered towards Ronaldo, Wes Brown revealed what it was like playing alongside him at Old Trafford. He said: “Obviously, I played with him. So I know what he’s like. He’s crazy, you know. The things that he used to do, his temperament.” “He would always say, if you’d ever seen him, ‘I want to be the best, I’m trying to be the best.’ And when you played at the time, you sort of take that for granted. ‘Okay, yeah, everyone wants to be the best.’ But he did, and he kept it going.” Final Thoughts Fernandes’ contract expires at the end of next season, but recent reports suggest that United are ready to extend his stay at the Theatre of Dreams. Featured image by Molly Darlington/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.