Bruno Fernandes interview after signing new contract with Man Utd 1 April 2022

Just a word on the fans Bruno, how much has their backing in your two years helped to convince you to extend your stay?
“As I said, when I arrived for my first game, two days after I signed my first contract, they are singing my song in the stadium. Straight away, you feel that this is a special place for you, that you belong to this club and that’s why. We know that the fans when we win will be more happy than when we lose but that’s football, that’s life, it will be always like that because as players we’re not as happy when we lose as when we win. You have to understand the fans’ side, but I feel the support from the fans since I arrive until now. It can be at moments that the fans are angry because you don’t score, you don’t assist, you don’t play well, but that’s normal, that’s football and you have to learn with that. They are every game in the stadium to support you so they can say you had a bad or a good game but next game, they’ll be there to support you, so you have to be happy for that, you have to feel that you are in a special position.”

At the age of 27, you’re probably going to have your prime years here. Do you feel you are still improving and learning day by day?
“I will be until the end of my career, improving and learning, I hope so. I think you can only be better and better if you improve and learn every day. Even if you think that sometimes you cannot push yourself more or give more, I think you always have something to learn and improve and my mentality will always be like that. In football, in life, I always want to be better every day. Two different things, better things and that’s the most important.”

I just wondered if training and playing with the players here, does that help improve you?
“Of course, we all have different qualities. I learn from everyone, I think even in different positions, you can learn different things with them and that’s something important and special. Everyone knows the relationship I have with Juan [Mata] for example, he’s one of the players I learn more [from] since I arrive. Even in technical aspects or mentality-wise, it’s something that I learn, but at the same time, I can learn with [Anthony] Elanga who is much younger than Juan. He is starting his career, he can help me improve my game, so I think you have to make the balance between both and learn from that.”

You mentioned Elanga there, if we look at the future and foundations we’re building on, the likes of Anthony and Jadon [Sancho] for instance, then we’ve got young lads who have reached the FA Youth Cup final, the [Under-]18s. So, looking at the future, how exciting do you think the future could be at Manchester United?
“I think it’s important for everyone to understand, the future can be bright, but at the same time, it’s difficult for them to get straight away in the team, to have that impact. We cannot rush every player that we think in the Under-18s, Under-23s are doing well, you cannot think that they will arrive in the first team and do well in the first instance. You have to give time, space for them to learn, to be ready for the game. Some of them are probably ready already, they come to the first team, they play, and they will be ready because some players are like that, some players don’t feel the pressure, some players have a different mentality. But I think as a club, as a fan side, we have to have expectations for every player that we think can be good for us, but at the same time, having patience when he doesn’t have a good game, when he doesn’t have an impact that we expect. I think that happened with Jadon at the beginning of the season and now he’s getting better and better, and I think he can get much better than this. It’s important that we’re calm, we learn and understand there’s a process for every player and every player has a different process. Not everyone will arrive and straight away bang, they are in the moment, they will be fine, they will be okay, some players need time, improvement and they will because we have all the conditions, we have the players that will support between us, we will support each other to get the best version of everyone.”