EPL: Bruno Fernandes fires back at Roy Keane in assist record row

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Bruno Fernandes has hit back at criticism from former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, accusing him of telling a “lie” about comments linked to the Premier League assists record.

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Fernandes, who captains Manchester United, said Keane misrepresented his post-match interview after United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, in which the midfielder was said to have prioritised individual achievement over team success.

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Keane, speaking on The Overlap podcast, suggested Fernandes’ mindset reflected an unhealthy focus on personal statistics rather than collective success.

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“How can your mindset of a footballer be going into a match to be about an individual record? He won’t be winning trophies, not with that mindset of the team,” Keane said.

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However, Fernandes insisted those claims were inaccurate and based on a misinterpretation of his actual remarks.

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“There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot. I’m very happy for the assist, but more than that, I’m happy for the win and to finish the season on a high,” Fernandes said, referring to his original comments.

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As reported by BBC Sport on Monday, speaking on the podcast The Diary of a CEO, Fernandes expressed frustration at what he described as false claims.

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“What I don’t like is when people lie about things… in this case what you said about Roy Keane basically what he said is a lie because either he saw some other interview or he can’t say that I said one thing that I’ve just not said,” he said.

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Fernandes added that he respects criticism but draws the line at being misquoted.

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“I accept his criticism… but what I don’t like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said,” he said.

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The Portuguese midfielder finished the season strongly, equalling and then breaking the Premier League assist record previously held by legends such as Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

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The incident adds to a growing pattern of current Manchester United players publicly responding to criticism from club legends.

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