Bruno Fernandes arrived at Manchester United from Sporting in the winter market and he’s been successful in creating an instant impact at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international has three goals and four assists in nine matches in all competitions, which includes assists in United’s wins over Chelsea and Manchester City.
During the clash against City, the 25-year-old was seen making a shushing gesture at Pep Guardiola. He had earlier suggested the opposition manager didn’t show him enough respect.
Speaking to Portugal’s Canal 11, Fernandes said he isn’t proud about the incident with the former Barcelona boss.
“As in everything in life, nothing is defined by what a person has or had and won. I condemn myself because the best answer at that moment would have been to remain silent and he would have been practically talking to himself. But temper and hot blood almost never let me shut up,” he was quoted as saying by Record.
United agreed a deal worth €55m fixed plus €20m in bonuses with Sporting for Fernandes. Speaking about the money invested by the Red Devils for his signing, he said: “Never have the values been as high as now. I think it is an exaggeration.
“My transfer, the values that were, bonuses and what may yet be, the amount that was paid for me was very high. Some players who were bought for this amount some time ago were Ballon d’Or [winners].”
Fernandes told Canal 11 (relayed by Record) the move to England ‘forced him to think twice as fast to continue to stand out’.
He also discussed how the Premier League is different compared to other leagues and talked about the fans in the stadiums, particularly those at Old Trafford.
“English football is different from all the others. In Portugal, if Sporting play against a smaller team, most of them close their defence. Here, the teams come to Old Trafford and it is different: they want to press, attack and take risks. The intensity of the game is very high,” he said.
“In England you live football in the pure state. There are whistles, applause and songs. We go into the stadium to warm up and it’s empty. We come back from warm-up, it’s half full, and when we come back to play, it’s full.
“The tunnel cancels the noise and as soon as we leave the tunnel there is a noise, something creepy. The Theatre of Dreams is something incredible.”
Fernandes also talked about a chat he’d had with Cristiano Ronaldo, while with the national team.
“The first time I went to the national team it was he who came to me. ‘So, are you doing well at Sporting? You have scored a few goals’,” Record report Fernandes as saying.
“Just the fact that Cristiano is coming up to me and saying he is running well […] the fact of showing that he was attentive to the work that I was doing… you think: ‘How is it possible for such a player to be attentive.’ Of course, he was at Sporting, the club that formed him and for which he has great affection.
“Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani won big trophies at United and that makes me want to have those trophies. Nani, with whom I had the opportunity to train at Sporting, has always told me good things about Manchester United.”
