Bruno Fernandes’ first appearance as Manchester United captain may have raised eyebrows for some, but he was the obvious choice to replace Harry Maguire and he revels in the “great honour” of leading Erik ten Hag’s side.
- Fernandes has been confirmed as the new captain, replacing Harry Maguire
- He raised his eyebrows when he found out he would lead for the first time in 2020
- Since then, the midfielder has become the obvious choice and expressed his pride.
Bruno Fernandes’ first outing as Manchester United captain may have come as a surprise, but the Portugal star says he is honored to have the role on a permanent basis.
Fernandes’ raised eyebrows said it all when manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he would replace captain Harry Maguire during a press conference video call before United played Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.
The 28-year-old captained United 45 times last season in Maguire’s extended absences, and was the obvious choice when Erik ten Hag decided to strip the England defender of the armband this summer.
Fernandes said: ‘The first time was in the Champions League against PSG. Ole surprised me a bit, but obviously I told him at the time that it is a great honor for me.
‘I still have the armband and shirt from that match, because I wanted to keep it, because this is something that is not for everyone.
Burno Fernandes has expressed his pride at being named the new Manchester United captain
The midfielder will replace Harry Magurie permanently for next season.
He captained United 45 times last season with Maguire used sparingly, but he is now the permanent captain.
And it’s something that you have to be proud of, it has to make you understand that you’re in a place where everyone would like to be: playing for Manchester United. To have the opportunity to have the bracelet and to have that responsibility is a great honor.’
Fernandes’ first game as United’s official permanent captain will be Saturday’s tour opener against Arsenal in New Jersey. He added: ‘Yes, it will be (special) because it will officially be my first time as club captain for the club.
‘And obviously I want to keep that one because I want to frame them both together to understand how long it was (the time between them).
“But it was really good to achieve this now because it means a lot for everything you’ve done throughout your career to understand that you did something great to captain one of the biggest clubs in the world.”
United kick off their pre-season campaign against Arsenal in New Jersey on Saturday
