Football Daily - The Wayne Rooney Show: Bruno Fernandes On Man Utd Pressure, Critics & Captaincy

Episode Date: April 24, 2026

Wayne Rooney sits down with Bruno Fernandes to talk Manchester United, pressure and captaincy.How does Bruno handle criticism at Man Utd? What is it really like leading the club during difficult periods and performing under constant pressure?Bruno Fernandes opens up on life as Manchester United captain, dealing with critics, playing through injuries and the mentality needed to deliver at the highest level. Wayne Rooney also reflects on his own experiences at United, leadership and what it takes to succeed under pressure.And Bruno also reveals his ambition to win the World Cup with Cristiano Ronaldo.Want to hear more from Wayne? Subscribe to The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sounds.

Hi Football Daily listeners, Wayne Rooney here. You're about to hear my chat with Bruno Fernandez. If you enjoy it, head over to the Wayne Rooney show on BBC Sounds and hit subscribe. Bruno, this is the first interview Wayne's ever done. Yeah. So, be quiet. And you've just took me first question away. That was the first thing I was going to say, and now you've just dropped that off me as well.

You can still say it. Yeah, so going into Manchester United Training Ground, to do the podcast with Bruno Fernandez. I'm looking forward to it actually. I think it will be good because Kay and Kelly are not here with me. I'm doing it alone, which really, it's the first time I've ever interviewed to one time. So is it going to be a bit of a different podcast today?

It'll be a little bit different. Obviously, being Maniang is the best player for a few years. Captain of Manchester United and player who I really like watching. We'll hope it turns out to be just one ex-captain to the current much-lates captain having a good chat. Yeah. Bruno, good to see you, mate. This is the first interview I've ever done, so I think you're going to have to bear with me a little bit. It might be...

I feel it's a privilege that. A bit up and down, but bear with me. How are you? How are you doing? I'm good. I'm good. And you? I'm very good. Very nice to be here with you. To be honest, I've seen you. many times I played against you

I got the shirt of you but you don't know it because I ask Juan to get it for me he's not a united one he's a derby one but for you to be here and it's been tough and I think it's been tough over the last few years and

how have you handled that because obviously as the leader you're having to deal with a lot of stuff how have you handled no obviously it has not been as as I want and like I've I've seen the club for so many years. Obviously, when you were playing, when Christiano was here, for me,

was the times that I was growing up and following the club. And that was probably one of the best clubs in the world and not just club, but team also, because you guys were winning year after year. And when you come to a club like this, you feel that. You want to do the same. You want to win. Even knowing that when I came, I knew the club was not in the best place already. But when you come to the United, you always think that I'm going to be closer to win trophies

and to achieve what I want to achieve. Obviously, as not being like that, I've achieved some things, but not as many as I wanted and as many as the club wanted. But for me, it's just about playing football. I just enjoy to play. And I know that in this club, you have a lot of things surrounding and a lot of people talking about.

But this is the price you have to pay to play in a big club. And if you want to be part of a club like this, you need to be aware that it's going to be a lot of things that you have to deal with. And for me, to be honest, you like when people speak well about you. You don't like it as much when they say bad things about you, but you have to deal that in the same way. So for me, for me, it's about that.

I think you're in the best form you've been in for Manchester Nighton. It is enjoy watching your play. And the best thing I like about you is you take a risk. You're not scared to give the ball away. I think that's a big skill to have. I think obviously, I think the position where I can give more to the team is probably as a 10. Obviously, I don't think in the years I've been here,

we didn't have a lot of players that could play as a 10 to create, to take that risk, not have that fear of losing the ball or whatever. When I first came, we had Juan, and he was amazing, but he was playing more towards the right side than as a 10. But then I never had the chance of playing deeper with someone as a 10. That would be the guy that would create. And that's what made me probably be more the 10 year.

Because when I was at sporting, I always rotate between the 10 and 8. But obviously when you were sporting and in Portugal, the difference between the big clubs and the rest of the league is massive. So most of the teams you control the games. And obviously the manager, he made me play as a eight when we had the home games against teams where he thought would be much easier to control the game. And then when you played the big games and he wanted someone up the pitch to create more and when spaces will be tighter and the game will be more difficult, would have played me there. And probably give someone that would give more control defensively. But I think, yeah, for me, I don't know if it's the best form in my career or whatever,

but I'm enjoying playing and obviously numbers are coming up and obviously as a 10, you want to assist the other ones. I think obviously the best thing in football is scoring a goal. No one can say differently and change that. People can want to say differently because probably they don't score as much, but I think the best feeling in football will always be scoring a goal. But for the position I play and for the way we, want to play in the way we set and with the players I have up front, serving them and giving

them the passes is something that I really enjoy. Well, you lead the team, don't you? What I love about what you're doing, consistently in the team, you play, you don't ever, you very rarely come out of the team. Have you played through big injuries? Yeah, I've played some with, obviously I didn't add, let's say massive injuries, but I think around two years ago or three years ago, I, I, I, I, I played some. I had the injury against Brighton, the semi-final of Carabault Cup or FA Cup.

I don't remember exactly which one was. And I had just had my foot properly blown, and I had the plant of my foot all bruised, and I couldn't walk. And still there, I was like we were going through a period where we could get the Champions League sports. We were in the final of the Carabourkech Cup or FA Cup, one of them too. And I just said, like, I'm going to play through this. And just because it's not because I want to show that I'm stronger than the other ones or whatever. Just I enjoy playing football.

If there's something that I really can't play, okay. But I feel that pain is something that during the games, you can kind of forget it. If you go with the emotion of the game, I don't really think about it. Because if I have the manager, it says to me, like, no, stay calm, stay on your side. It's fine. You rest two games, I will be doing that. But if I have the manager on the other side saying, no, we need you. Just make an effort, try it.

and I played against Tottenham with my foot when my foot all blowed up and I had pain everywhere they put a strapping on me I hate playing with strappings I never played with shrapins I hate having things on my feet I feel it

I don't know I feel strange Like a clamp? Yeah I got into the warm-up I came out of the warm-up I took the strap and the guy that just in the strap he was there like for 15 minutes trying to make it the best way as well I said I'm sorry but I can't

I just play with this and then whatever else to happen will happen Yeah it's interesting there when you says well if the man just said you don't play. So I think I was a nightmare because I used to go to the management

and be like, listen, I'm playing. I'm playing. I'm not, I'm not sitting out. I think it caused problems between the doctors, the physios and the manager and stuff. But you still need the game, don't you? I can see.

Just see how you're talking. I just like, for me, as you said, I had some fights. Obviously when Ruben was here and I had my Amsterdam injury, it was my first time, so I was a little bit also scared about like,

what could this people? because you know like then the doctors when they speak to you they kind of scare you like oh my god and I was like no I'm fine because even at Vila I got injured and half time I wanted to come like I said I can't carry on that's fine because we didn't have many players on the bench also was the time where we were struggling I think we had players away in afghan and then some players injured and I said no no no I play through it's fine and then Ruben was like no no no no you can't play it because then we're going to lose you for more time and I was like no let me go and if I can't make it He said, no, no, no, I'm making this up. Then I came, I had a scan.

They said, like, you need to be out. Then I wanted to play leads away. And they said, no, no, you can't play. I said, no, I'm okay for 20 minutes. And then I was like going to the manager saying one thing, then going to the doctor saying another thing. I was trying to fix something in the way that the bubble could go around. Then I was like, I'm going to get at least 20 minutes in the end of the game.

But I couldn't make it. But at least then Burnley, when Fletch was here, he told me 60 minutes, and I have to take you off. I said, no, if we know winning, don't take me off. And he was bravely. And it was like two games. He was like, Bruno, please, I have to take you off. Don't, don't.

I said, like, no, if we're no winning, just leave me on the beach. And half time, we were, I think, one-one. And one-one or losing one-neill, probably. And I said, yeah, we were losing one-nil. And then second half, we scored two quick calls. CESCO scored a double. And Fletch looked at me. It was around 58 minutes, and he looked at me.

And I said, and I was like, Yeah, okay. I didn't want to make that things difficult for Fletcher's coming in two games and if I get into it again, people would get on him. You'd get to blame and everything. So I was like, okay, I come out. And as soon as I come out, I said, I had to take you off. Sorry, I wanted to keep you on the beach, but I had to take you off. Growing up as a child and then if you think, if you would have fast forward and said to yourself, 20 years time, 15 years time, I'm going to be captain of Manchester United. Would you ever have dreamt that he was out of that opportunity? No, I said that this many times I've dreamed about playing for the club. I wanted to, obviously, dreaming you, you allowed to dream everything you want. But I never thought, obviously, as I said before, I saw you guys playing so many times

and I was following the club for so long. But I never thought about being captain of the club. For me, just coming to the club was already a dream come true, a privilege, you know, playing for the club and playing for so long because, you know, Staying at this club for so long is not for everyone. And you guys have done it for so many years and winning so many things. And that's what's the thing in my head, you know, coming to this club, stay there, winning trophies, being one of the players that will be there for the good moments

and trying to build the club into glory again. But it's a thing that you don't even dream about. I'm a privilege in the honor for me to be the captain of the club. And when the chance came, obviously, was not in the best way. because obviously Harry was at the club and he was not leaving the club and they have to choose another one. So it was kind of a tricky one for me but was at a conversation with Ari and so that made me feel much better on the way like, okay, I need to deal with this. I know that I have his support in terms of like, okay, it was my time. They decided that it's not anymore and then we go forward with this.

And I think that helped me a lot from his side, having him on my side. Like he was the first one to talk with me when he knew that I would be the captain so that was a very good sign for me that he accepted obviously you never accepted too well but in some way he accepted that I would be the captain

and he was there to help me and he did to be honest but as I said before I never thought or dreamed about being the captain of the club I just wanted to play for it Michael Cadegh, Steve Quinn how has it been? Because I was in Barbados with him the week before yeah I know I got about it

Richard, but having a beer, we're chilling, and then all of a sudden, he's manager of Manchester Nights. I actually was thinking about it, and I was thinking, do you know what, this is, I think this is a really good fit. This works, it feels right, and then obviously, obviously, he came to him well. He came in, and I think, I've knew him from the time of OLE, obviously not as a manager, that he had three games as a manager,

and you could think already that there was something more than an assistant manager or someone that could be more than just an assistant manager. And I think that three games showed that because the way he prepared the game, the way he spoke to us in the games against, I think was Arsenal, Chelsea and Villareal. You could kind of understand that he was prepared for the moment. He was like, I think he was with Jose before and then with Oleg,

if I'm not in the mistake. And you could see that there was already someone that was ready for the next step and not just to be behind someone else. And then when he came in, I think he came with the energy that the team needed, with a lot of positive energy, good things to say, very nice words in terms of not just nice words of good words, but nice words in terms of like when he's needed something stronger, when he's needed something softer, when he's needed something to bring the team together. And I think that was very important for not just for the team, but for the whole environment to feel like, okay, we've changed from needs. here now, we just have to try to go up and not thinking that what could have been, what we should have done, what we could have been differently.

And I think that was the main thing that change was everyone in the team, but also staff and everyone was very quick to, okay, it didn't work, let's turn off, turn on the other one and let's push to achieve what we want to achieve in this season. And until now it's being working very well. We got very good results, some results where we could have done better, but that That's part of playing in the Premier League and the league is so tough and so tight that at this moment we are in the best position

we could ever be when Michael just came in. We never thought that in this probable time of moment we would be third and depending on yourself to secure the top four. I remember a scene last summer and there was speculation that you might leave the club, you might stay. I remember looking at it.

I was time to put myself in your position. I was thinking, like, what would I do here? because the club was in a sticky moment and I was thinking what would I do and I've been in that exact position I thought I want to leave a legacy I want to be successful and for you now

if you go on to Captain Manchester United back to the Premier League title or to the Champions League do you know what that will do for you know what that will leave the legacy you will leave at this football club I'm very aware of that and that's obviously that season when I stayed

was a little bit because of that I don't want to leave the club or at the point where we were struggling and we needed something to get back in positions we wanted to be. Obviously, I never hide from that. I want to win the Premier League. I want to win the Champions League.

I never hide it from that and I will never hide. I might do it, I might not. That's part of football. But I stayed at the club because I think I still have something that I can give back to the club, not just because I'm going to be the player

from the United or the captain from an United just because I think I still very, of helping the club to get back to that positions and to get what I wanted in the first place when I came to the club. Obviously, it's difficult when you hear a lot of things coming, obviously, the Saudi situation with the money. It was a lot and all these things. But I've always said, and the good thing I have in my family is that my wife is pretty down to earth like me. And we're very aware that we don't want to be the richest person in the world. We just want to be the ones that have achieved the dreams that they had and live a good life with their kids

and trying to be as more successful as possible. And I was very good at the time in my head was about to stay in. But the words of my wife of like, have you achieved your dreams? Have you achieved everything we wanted? And that small things that she said made me understand that, okay, she's in the same page as me. What I was thinking is not wrong. Let's try it, let's keep try it and let's see where this takes me.

You always have to listen to you. Whatever they say. What would be your best moment you've had at the club? Probably one of the ones that I like the most is the assist to Kobe in the FA Cup final because I think from the moment I start running from the halfway line to the edge of the box.

I think it was probably the play that I've scanned the most the game because obviously you know when you get into that moment and playing against CT you know that normally they will have the ball for a long period and you're going to have to suffer and sacrifice. And then there's going to be moments where you need to be aware, clever, knowing where all the players are.

And then as soon I know that Garnas coming in and that ball could come to me. My first thought was like, if this comes perfect, I'm going to shoot because the position was perfect. But as soon the ball starts traveling, I see John Stone stepping out. And I knew Kyle was just behind Kobe. So if I make the pass in the right moment,

with the right pace timing, Kobe is going to be in a much better position than myself to finish the play. So I think that for me, that's the moment for me as a player for what I can give to the team and what I like to see in players that play in that position, that's the moments I like. You make it look so easy so not many players, even at the top level, we'll be able to see that and execute it. So there's certain players who, when you get the ball, the teammates will run.

They'll make run off the ball, so for instance, when we play in, when Ryan gets the ball, I'd run because I knew he'd time find and they might give the ball away. When you get it, I'm looking at players and thinking, look, everyone's gone, everyone's running, so I'd love to play with it because I've played with different players

and I've played in different positions so I would love to add the opportunity to play it alongside. Do you think we would work? No, it would. First of all, because I think everyone knows about your artwork off the ball and everything, you know,

and probably people will think about that too offensive and everything, but I think when you have players that play in the 10 position that know how to defend as an 8 or a 6 and they run as much as they can to help the team and defend it. I think in that terms we won't have problems of do that dirty side of the game, let's say, as a 10, that probably in your time was not many tens that would do it. And that's something that I think was very impressive from your side.

In a generation where the number 10 was just like the fancy player that would get the ball and everything. And a part of you scoring goals, giving assists, you would run everywhere and fight anyone on the pitch, being strong. And that's something that I've always had in my game. That probably I'm not as strong a year or, but I'm not afraid of going to tackle and make myself available to that. And then on the ball, I think I really like the runs to make runs in behind. Obviously, you need players that can play that pass. And I think with you by my side or one ahead, one behind, whatever was,

we would probably both get in much more times on a one-v-one with the keeper. And apart of that, I think for me, would have been a privilege playing alongside you because I've watched you for many, many years and we're a player that I had in my head always to follow up in the way you played, in the way not just, as I said before, because the qualities, everyone can see it, but the way you felt the game, the way you were grafting up and the way you wanted to win games and that you will never allow anyone to get ahead of you

that's something that I've always liked I like players with that spark with that firing side because I think that's the players that make a difference in many big teams. So we're coming towards the end of the season in play the year, covering up. I genuinely think this year I think you should win him.

I think what you're bringing to the team when the team's going to be a bad period you're there consistently you're leading and I think you're the perfect example to your team mate I think you'll win it I think you should win it I think you will win it

and if you don't it'd be hard to say you can think it's a huge privilege to me in the conversation obviously you know like as a player you can say as many times as you want that you want to win trophies collectively and that's true but obviously this individual accolades are always nice for you for your personal side for for you to know that you don't need

the accolades to know that you did a good season or not but obviously when you know that is players voting for you that's that has a little bit of a different impact because you know like is the players that you've been playing against and if they recognize you as one of the best in the league or the best in the league for that for that season it's it's a huge privilege obviously I'm pretty aware that win the league, get closer to get that trophies and to win that, because we always put together in the same plate, winning the league by a player who is always going to have a certain weight. But I think I've done very well this season. I think probably getting into this conversation

is already a privilege. I'm not really focused on that. I obviously, I would be more than happy to win it. I'm not going to lie on that. It's going to be, if If I do end up winning, it's something unbelievable because I've never done it before. So it's a privilege and an honor. But I think is there other plays that have done a very good season, different ways, different playing styles and stuff like that. And let's see you get it at the end of the season. So if you win it, if you do win it, make sure your teammates go to the event and sell me.

So I won it. I don't think any of your teammates went. But I've been so, I've, well, my, my team. teammate of one of here. I've gone and we've all gone to celebrate and then when I went I was like where's all the team have? What's gone to the air but make sure they go and celebrate

I will make sure that if they don't go as a fan there. If you do with it so hopefully you do. Are you enjoying your game? Because one of the things I look back at is when you're in the thick of it

you think of like we need to do this, we need to like time be better and then I look back and think I should have enjoyed playing more rather than thinking, constantly think right, and you'll be doing the same which you do, you're thinking, I don't need to

help your teammates here. And then make sure you enjoy it as well because I can see you you always want to do that here and it's a little bit... And then when you start playing you're thinking I should enjoy that a little bit more. I think I'm getting better at that now because obviously I think as you get older you understand better

the things, you understand better that every player is from different generations. and they see things in different ways. They live it in different ways. I'm probably a little bit too old school yet because obviously I've raised in football in Italy so they are very tough on the young players and everything like that.

But I'm learning and I'm understanding that every player is a different way of dealing with things. So I probably have to enjoy more of my football. You're very right at it. I put my head into many things but I'm getting better at that. Welcome to Pradesh. Portugal. I've given me two words nights

to football. I know that. I broke me foot and then 2006 cut the red card and I actually mean this because of Cristiano and I would love

to see him with the World Cup and yourself so what I've just said before go and enjoy you have fun and I hope he's still well

thank you very much I will try my best to make my country proud obviously as you said wrapping up all this last World Cup

with Cristiano winning it will be something amazing and I really hope that we can make that not just for Portugal but for everything that Cristiano gave to football in Portugal and to the world I think will be a very nice way to win this season. I think 2004 is my first memory of Portugal playing because I was 10 years old. I shouldn't say this but when England lost in

penalties I was in my grandma's house I run with my cousins we run outside in the streets. I was in the hospital in Portuguese hospital in meet England kids still watching it on a little TV and then obviously the 2006 I remember because obviously everyone remembers Cristiano and Wayne's a little bit of fire there

and ends up in Jamie Carragher missing the penalty I had to say this sorry Jamie I had to get a little of you you get on me all the time I can get a new that penalty when I miss a penalty don't say nothing about it please

well Bruno thanks so much sure to the podcast very appreciate it and good luck thank you very much thank you for it five live sports BBC women's football weekly

the latest news insights and analysis from across the women's game game game dame serena vigman welcome to the phone are we are we including dame in your title now you know how much an honour that is you want to play in a way

that they can show their skills so that's what we're trying to do win the war cup it's a dream listen with the BBC sound App.