The INCREDIBLE stat that shows why Bruno Fernandes is Man Utd's future

Jacque Talbot

• 17 Mar 2023 13:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Bruno Fernandes has played more minutes than any other player in Europe’s top five divisions.

The Athletic tallied up the numbers and the Manchester United attacker has racked up the most time on the field, even more so than David de Gea in goal.

Fernandes has played 3751 minutes this term, with De Gea next on 3690 minutes. Coming third is Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, who has clocked up 3,510. Fernandes has also played Europe’s highest for the amount of games with 43, which is equal to teammate Marcus Rashford. De Gea is next on 41, with Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid coming after.

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Erik ten Hag opted to play Fernandes against Real Betis for the Europa League second leg as he was one booking away from a suspension.

But he decided to keep the former Sporting star on the field for the encounter, with Man Utd progressing to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win on the night.

After the game at the Benito Villamarín Stadium, Ten Hag explained why he used Fernandes so much and just what the player is able to offer the side - giving insight into the manager's future plans with him.

“He is very strong, has very good recovery, he is a very good athlete, he has so much energy,” said the Dutchman. “He can play in so many roles, tactically he is brilliant, we can overload areas, we can outplay opponents. We create good situations and chances, he is very important in the counter-press and transitions. He is a good example for the team. In recent weeks, he has been in brilliant form and he looks like he is getting better from game to game.”

Fernandes the future captain?

Fernandes has also been handed the captain’s armband as Harry Maguire has been dropped in the pecking order to make way for a new partnership in defence. There have been concerns that his personality does not suit the style Ten Hag wants, but the coach put paid to that idea, saying that Fernandes just enjoys 'coaching' the players during the game.

“He’s had a really important role in why we’re in the position where we are because he’s giving energy to the team, he’s not only running a lot at the highest intensity but also the right way and right direction,” Ten Hag said. “He’s pointing and coaching players, he’s an inspiration for the whole team. But no one is perfect, everyone has his mistakes. Everyone has to learn. I have to learn and he will learn as well because he’s intelligent.”