Bruno Fernandes has openly admitted that his career at Manchester United has not met his expectations in terms of silverware. He acknowledged that he “obviously wanted to have won more” during his time with the club.
Since joining from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, Fernandes has been a standout player for the Red Devils. However, trophies have been scarce. Under Erik ten Hag, the team managed to win the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup the following year. These are the only two major titles secured since Fernandes arrived.
Despite reaching several finals, including two Europa League appearances and a FA Cup final in 2023, the club has struggled to claim more than just those two trophies over six-and-a-half seasons. For a club of Manchester United’s stature, this is a disappointing return.
Fernandes had hoped that his move to the Premier League would add significantly more to his career achievements. He admitted that things have not gone as he had anticipated.
“I obviously wanted to have won more; it wasn’t quite what I had expected for myself and for the club,” Fernandes told ESPN.
“We managed to reach some finals, some of them we won, others we didn’t.”
Despite the lack of trophies, Fernandes remains focused on achieving success. His goal has always been to win the biggest competitions, and the Premier League is a key part of that ambition.
“I still have that dream in me and I hope to achieve it,” he said.
The 31-year-old is now hopeful that Michael Carrick can be the manager who leads Manchester United back to regularly competing for top prizes both domestically and in Europe.
Fernandes believes that Carrick has helped the players regain their confidence and take control of the team after the difficult period under Ruben Amorim.
“He brought a very positive energy to the team,” Fernandes said of Carrick’s arrival in January. “He tried to be very positive because obviously we were in a moment of coaching transition, which is always a difficult time for the team.”
“He tried to be positive, obviously he brought new ideas and a different way of playing, which was also important for some players to find an escape to be protagonists again.”
“And it’s been good, obviously, because the results demonstrate that too. We hope that we will continue to do so.”
Fernandes has faced speculation about leaving the club in recent transfer windows, but Carrick has made it clear that he does not see his captain departing anytime soon.
The Portuguese midfielder has one year left on his current contract, though the club has the option to extend it by another 12 months.
“He’s such an influence for us,” Carrick said last month. “He’s been the captain and led by example in different ways. So, yeah, I’ve got no reason to think otherwise.”
“We’ve loved what he’s done and he loves being here.”
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