Bruno Fernandes value to Man Utd sums up why he's won top award - no one comes close

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In the bowels of San Mamés stadium in Bilbao late on May 21, 2025, Bruno Fernandes came out to face the media after the loss to Spurs in the Europa League final. He always does, Fernandes. Always faces up, in victory or defeat, if he is man of the match or if he has been getting pelters from pundits.

Whatever you think of his occasional histrionics on the pitch, Fernandes has always represented Manchester United with distinction off it. Anyway, in the immediate aftermath of a dismal performance in that final in Bilbao, Fernandes surprised the gathered reporters by suggesting that the Old Trafford hierarchy might want to sell him.

He knows how things work, he said. Al-Hilal, of the Saudi Pro League were said to be willing to pay £100million for him. Whether that sort of offer was formally made is unclear. But what is clear is that one or two in executive Old Trafford power might have thought selling Fernandes, who had turned 30, would have been good business.

Thankfully for United fans and for the club itself, the idea was eventually dismissed. And the result is that Manchester United have secured Champions League qualification.

It has not been a stellar season for the club - far from it. But without the leadership and contribution of Fernandes, they would have been nowhere near where they are in the Premier League table right now. Simple as that.

And that is why he is a worthy winner of the Footballer of the Year award. In terms of an individual player’s importance to his team’s cause, it is hard to think of anyone more valuable than Fernandes.

Erling Haaland perhaps? That is why the Manchester City striker came third in the voting. There is always a dilemma when voting in this type of poll. Should the fact that a team is not successful count against a candidate?

It is a matter of choice, quite frankly. Famously, both the Football Writers Association and the Professional Footballers Association gave their individual awards for the 1998-1999 season to David Ginola.

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Sir Alex Ferguson, whose United side won the treble, would regularly use the choice as evidence the writers did not know what they were on about. He would say: “We won the treble and you gave your award to David Ginola … for one good goal against f****** Barnsley.”

It was a funny line, although it was a good goal, to be fair. The truth, of course, is that United had so many outstanding players - Peter Schmeichel, David Beckham, Andy Cole, Paul Scholes - that they split the vote.

Arsenal’s Declan Rice, who finished second, Gabriel and David Raya all received Footballer of the Year votes. But again, that takes nothing away from Fernandes. There is every chance his fellow players will also recognise him in their awards.

Fernandes has not just sharpened up his act for a manager he wants to get the long-term gig. He was excellent for Ruben Amorim - in a slightly different role - and he is excellent for Michael Carrick.

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He is one short of the record number of assists, 20, in a Premier League season. And when the season ends, you can be sure the proportion of goals he has assisted will be a Premier League record.

That is the most meaningful statistic. He has registered an assist for over 30 percent of United’s Premier League goals this season. Kevin de Bruyne’s total of 20 in the 2019/20 season meant he registered an assist for 19.6 percent of City’s goals in that Premier League campaign.

But statistics never tell the full story. And the simple fact is that when you watch a United match - against whoever - he is nearly always the most influential player on the pitch. That is why he is the 2025/26 Footballer of the Year.

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