In the in the football career, you go

through a lot ups and downs and a lot of

uh difficult moments.

And uh let's say the ones that suffered

most family,

they um they see your good moments, your

bad moments, your good side, your bad

side also,

but uh they always stand by you.

>> Your time at Manchester United has been

a bit of a roller coaster like this. And

so on that day when you get a big offer

to leave Manchester United for a

contract that was worth reportedly 200

million, why didn't you go?

>> It's Captain Fantastic.

>> Manchester United's captain Bruno

Fernandez has arguably become their

greatest player in the post Ferguson

era. There isn't a single player in the

Premier League who has more assists

since his arrival. He's won more club

player of the year awards than Ronaldo

and only five players have scored more

than his 70 league goals. So, I'm at the

Manchester United training ground to ask

him the questions the footballing world

wants to know, including recently Roy

Keane criticized your mentality based on

a quote he claimed you said. How do you

respond to that?

>> He came criticizing me, killing me,

saying that I'm not good enough, that

I'm not a good captain, that I'm not a

good player for the club. It's okay. I

don't mind. What I don't like is when

people lie about things. I even asked

Ole his number to have a word with him.

>> Did you speak to him?

>> Bruno. To understand somebody, I always

think you have to start with where they

started and the the early context that

they grew up in. And we were just

talking before we started recording

about Porto. I'm on a journey to

understand why you are the way that you

are because you're such an anomaly on

the pitch and your your career when I

track the journey of where you've come

from and how you continually were

promoted and pushed forward at a very

young age is clear to me that your early

context your early upbringing and

whatever it was that was present at that

age has shaped you in some very very

important way what is the sort of

earliest thing I need to understand

about where you came from and that

environment

>> for me is all about family is about

taking care of other people And I think

to succeed not just in in sports but in

life, you need to be you need to be very

careful of of your surroundings. So I

think the values of my family, the

values of my of my parents were were

what make me the person and the player I

am today.

>> The older I've gotten, I'm now 33, so I

think I'm 2 years older than you, the

more I've realized actually with time

what I learned from my parents and like

the values that my dad in particular

gave me. He never for a lot of the

things it's not something he ever said

to me. It's like modeling what he did.

So seeing how he behaved.

>> Yeah.

>> What's that for you?

>> It's it's kind of the same, you know,

like um my father was never a person to

to show his emotions too much or tell

you what to do or how to do it. Uh he

would just do it and you would

understand by by by his behavior, by the

way things that uh that was his way of

showing us how he has to be doing. Was

never a person of like hugging, kissing

and stuff. He's got now into that even

when I come out of games and stuff you

see like I I I always get his hug. I

always get the his kiss and this is

something that I as a kid I knew how

much he loved me but uh in in this small

aspects was always my mom giving this

kind of love. He was more uh in the way

of he was showing how things have to be

done how how much you have to sacrifice

yourself to certain things. My dad was

very strong with me in term of like

games.

>> Imagine I could come out of a game

scoring two, three goals or whatsoever

and my parents, my dad in this case will

always pick up the bad moments I had in

games to make me understand that wasn't

that wasn't that was good but wasn't

great. It's always margin to

improvement. You know, it's always small

things. And I think I've learned such

from such a young age to deal with

criticism that I'm now in probably in

one of the biggest clubs in terms of

like caring criticism and attention.

That doesn't hurt me. Like I don't like

it. Obviously, no one likes to get

criticized, but it doesn't hurt me. It

doesn't change the way I behave. It

doesn't

change the way I want to do things. But

from the other side, it makes me

understand there's still things to

improve. And I listen to that and I I I

I look at my game and I see if he's

needed of changing of improvement in my

game. And and my dad was always very

strong in that with me. And I see

nowadays the parents, you know, my dad

never wanted me to be a footballer. He

wanted me to become a better person, a

better player on or a better student.

Everything I wanted I wanted to do, he

just wanted to me to do it at like 100%.

You need you want to do this, you have

to do the best you can. You can't just

be happy with you go to a test and let's

say in Portugal was from zero to 100%.

And you have 98 and you'll be the most

happiest person in the world. No, you

can be happy because that result is

amazing. But you left 2% then that you

still can improve. So you always showing

me that even if it was just a small

thing or a small detail, you still have

something more to do. You still still

have something more that you can improve

or become better. And that's something

that has stuck with me not just in

football but in life. I don't like to do

things 50% 60 70 or 80. Whenever I'm

included in something, I want I want to

go full. I want to learn as much as I

can. I want to be the best version I can

in that aspect, whatever it is.

>> I mean, it's it's really interesting

because I I I wonder to myself how you I

think you started playing football at 5

years old.

>> Yeah, five.

>> And were you good from 5 years old? Were

you were you different from your peers

at a young age? In such a young age, I I

never think about being a footballer. I

just wanted to play football for life.

I'm just happy playing football. I just

want to have this ball in my feet every

time, all time.

>> And you joined uh FC Infesta.

>> Yeah, that was my first club

>> at 5 years old. I mean, I've got some

photos of you as as a young man here.

I've got so many photos here, but you

must be roughly around that age then.

And remarkably, I read that after one

training session, they moved you into

the older group and you played with

people two years older than you when you

were four, five years old.

>> Yeah, I was five playing with a seven

years old.

>> Why did they move you into a different

group?

>> I went for the first session and it was

a football session. Five aside uh but

like an indoor thing. Um

>> and uh after that first session, they

told me that like no, you need to get on

the grass. And then I think it comes

just u you know I looked at the other

players and at the other other people

that were training with me and I didn't

want to be better than them. I just

wanted to like

getting getting at them was the same at

getting at my brother that was five

years old than me. For me it was no

difference. If I have to beat him up I

will beat him up. You know like one v

one I'm going to go past him. I have to

tackle I'm going to tackle him. He's

going to tackle me stronger. It doesn't

matter. I tackle him again. And and I

was I had no fear. And I think that was

the thing that make me become better and

better because I was never the best.

Like technical ability, yes, I was good.

Was the best? No. Speed. Was I quick?

Yeah, I was quite the quick. Was this

the quickest? No. I was the strongest.

No. I was the tallest. No. But I had no

fear of anything of that. I had to

sprint with someone that was quicker

than me. I'm going to sprint with him

and I'm going to I might not beat him,

but I'm going to get close to that. I

actually read that you were so

aggressive that referees sometimes asked

your coach at Infesta Sergio to sub you

off otherwise they'd have to send you

off.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean that kind of correlates with what

you were saying there about fear.

>> Yeah.

>> You were aggressive.

>> I was I that's what I mean. Like I had I

had no fear, you know, like I I wouldn't

look at faces or sizes whatsoever and

think like oh he's bigger than me, you

know, like he's going to he's going to

be stronger than me or whatever. I would

get into any any any ball in any moment

in in in the game with with no fear at

all. And this is probably the best times

in my career between Infesta and Bu

Vista because this one is Infesta. This

one is at Vista when I just I stayed

probably a year at Infesta and Buista

got me straight away. There should be a

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>> And you moved quickly um up and up and

up and up. And that was one of the

remarkable things I noticed when I

looked at you starting playing at 5

years old getting promoted to an older

team and then quickly almost in all the

clubs, you know, up I'm looking at when

you were 17 years old and you left

Portugal and moved to Italy to join

Navara.

>> Yeah.

>> And after three months there, you were

promoted to the first team. Um, and but

then you very quickly joined Udinazi.

>> Yes.

>> And at Udazi, you met a guy called

Franchesco. I can't pronounce his

surname, but Goudellini.

>> Guidelini. Yeah.

>> He was really, really formative in your

career, wasn't he? You were what, 18, 18

years old.

>> 18 years old. Yeah.

>> Why was he such an important part of

your career? What did he teach you or

give you at Udemy?

He was the manager that probably gave me

the basis and the foundation to be

fearless and express myself, you know,

like to get my head out of so many

things that were going on. And as a

young kid that has just made step into

the area and he's like, I need to now is

the moment I need to show myself. But he

was like, you don't you you showed me

that you have the qualities when you

were in second division in Italy. That's

why we bought you. And to be honest, I

was on the edge of coming to Watford on

loan.

>> Watford.

>> Yeah. Because the is the same ownersh

>> and uh we're getting at the edge of the

transfer window. They just bought me and

obviously they had a big squad with a

lot of players and they were like we're

going to send you to Watford. You're

going to you're going to be there

playing for them blah blah. And I was

like what have I done? Like I wasn't I

wasn't good enough. And then in the same

moment they called me to go to the auto

pack my stuff cuz it was like last days

this pack my stuff. I was with with my

girlfriend wife now and she was like uh

don't worry we're going to we're going

to go anywhere else and you're going to

you're going to succeed. And I said but

why can I make it here? Like what what

what was that I did wrong that like the

manager is like not looking at me the

same that is looking to other players

and in my head was like have I done

something wrong? I've not like showed my

full potential. Have I not shown that

I'm good enough to be in this team? And

I don't know why in the middle of all

this thought the sporting director

called me again and says Bruno you can't

go anymore. The manager wants you to

stay. He says he loved you. He loves

your attitude. He wants you to learn

from him. He wants you to understand how

he wants to play and everything. He says

you might not play much this season but

he's pretty sure that you you are the

type of player that will succeed at this

club. And then we had many conversations

and I think when you want a manager for

young players that very quick will play

and will think like oh I'm I'm the guy

now he's going to make you understand

stay calm I got you but you're still not

there. And he was so good for me. He was

like a father figure, you know, like but

not just for me. If you speak with every

player that was there at that time, they

knew they were important for him because

he always showed that. And that's why we

made me so much more complete in terms

of understanding the moments and the

process that managers have to go through

their heads and what they think about

players that is better or whatsoever

that you don't understand. Whenever a

manager puts you on the bench, you just

think doesn't like me. He's he's doing

this because he makes he wants to make

another one play. what but the way he

did it with me and all the players that

were around me at that time we were so

happy that their environment was very

very good

>> as a young man when you're this age

you're 18 years old what are your dreams

and if I'd asked you at the time what

does your future look like what would

you have said to me

>> as soon I I became a professional player

I I was like I want to be on on on the

top clubs I want to play for for the big

clubs I want to be in the Champions

League I want to to play for trophies I

want to become the players I'm looking

at I I want I want to become like them.

>> Did you think you could?

>> Yeah, always. I've never I never doubt.

>> And at 22, you get a call um and you

returned to Portugal and signed a 5-year

deal with Sporting in a deal worth

reportedly 8.5 million. That next

season, you scored 20 goals and added 13

assists, which was unheard unheard of

for a player in your position. And what

I read as well is that Tottenham were

interested in you at that time. Um, and

it was it was at one point highly likely

that you were gonna end up moving to

Tottenham. I'm very glad you didn't as a

Man United fan, but tell me about that.

So, Tottenham call you.

>> Yeah, I spoke with Tottenham and uh we

were very close to get an agreement

done. Um, then in the last two days or

one day of market, the Sporting just

said we we're not going to sell him.

We're going to keep him because we need

him. And

>> you wanted to go to Tottenham?

>> Yes, because I wanted to play in the

Premier League.

>> Why?

because for me is the best league in the

world. He's the most competitive one.

He's the one that I think when you grow

up you dream to play for you know like

full stadiums,

top clubs, top players. Obviously I was

I was lucky enough that my dream club to

play in England was Man United and

obviously

Tottenham at the time was the option I

had and I was very very happy to join

them because they showed me the process

that they were going through. the

manager that was there at the time they

also really wanted me all the new things

the new facilities and everything. So I

was very happy with the with everything

that I could see uh going forward but uh

it didn't happen and for bigger reasons

I I guess and then in January I got I

got the call that uh I was I was hoping

for for uh for two three years already.

>> Tell me about that call

cuz I know Manchester United has has

been you know in your eye for a long

time. I mean you I know you grew up

watching people like Cristiano Ronaldo

play for this club and I think when he I

think when he first played for Portugal

you were you were a young guy. You were

like eight eight or 10 years old or

something and he had been a great star

of Manchester United but but I think

generally people of our age group we

grew up in the heyday of Manchester

United the Alex Ferguson era as well. So

why Manchester United and can you zoom

me in if I'm a fly on the wall when you

get that phone call from your agent I

guess that Manchester United are in I

can see the smile on your face.

I was um let's say I was in my wardrobe.

I was getting getting ready to go to

bed. We just had to my wife was just

putting uh kids to my daughter at that

time. I only had my daughter uh to bed

and I get the call from my agent. Uh I

knew things were going on and

everything, but after what happened with

Tottenham, I didn't want to put my focus

on transfer windows. And I I never did

it in every step of my career that I've

changed club. I always said to my agent

whenever he's like 95% that the club

really wants me and he's ready to make

an offer tell me and then I decide if

it's like the right moment and I want to

go. Apart of that I'm like just keep him

apart. Keep me apart. I don't want to

know it. I don't want like to lose the

focus of what I'm doing to something

that I can't control. And after the

Tottenham thing I was like even more

because obviously I was basically done.

And then all of a sudden last day

Sporting just says like guys oh they

text to them and say like we're not

going to make it. So he called me and he

said, "Brun, so you told me to not speak

to you until we had something like

>> concrete."

>> Concrete, but just so you know, they

also have agreement already everything.

So it's just on your side now to say yes

or no. And I was like like yes or no to

what? And he said, "Come on, you've seen

the news." I said, my agent calls me guy

said, "Miguel, the news are every day

different. Every day they're going to

put a new club that is interested in me.

So I'm not I'm not going to be focused

on that." He said, "Okay, many night is

coming for you. I know I know this is

like what you want. So, just so you

know, this is this is the one that

you've been waiting for. So, it's on you

now to make a decision." And then, uh,

for like 10 20 seconds, I didn't I

didn't said anything. I was I was

crying, but I didn't want to talk

because, you know, like your voice

starts going a little bit chalky. And

then all of a sudden, my my wife gets

into the wardrobe and he says, "I'm

still on the call." And she goes like,

"Why are you crying?" and like him on

the phone say are you crying? I was like

just I turned that off and I was like

Miguel just called me and then in the

moment I'm trying to explain to my wife

what's going on. He's calling me like

repetitively like I need an answer and I

was like and my wife was like why are

you crying so like this is like what you

have dreamed for. like this is this is

the moment you you're waiting for and I

was like oh I don't know it's it's just

too much like I I' I've never expected

after everything that happened with

Tottenham I would have got the chance to

come to the Premier League again and

having the chance to come to the Premier

League with Man United is it's it's like

100% of the dream complete. So obviously

then like uh I just I just call him back

and I said like I don't even want to

know anything else. Just tell them I'm

going. Obviously, I was very good at

sporting and I was very

happy there because I I really enjoyed

my time at sporting because was when I

became

probably the best version of of myself

as a player where I improved so much in

that two years and a half but then was

like the dream of playing for the

Premier League and I think from every

sporting fund they really understood

that was was ready for me to to go and

do the next step. And when you join,

man, I mean, here's the famous photo of

you signing with Manchester United.

>> Yeah,

>> it's funny the the smile that you still

have on your face when you look at these

pictures.

>> Same. Yeah, it's uh because I think when

when you look back, as I said, like

this is the day your dream comes true.

So it's uh it's probably professional

wise I think I put this one and sporting

together because of the importance that

sporting had in my career but obviously

this this was the cherry on on top of

the cake because this is where I wanted

to be. and you joined the club at a time

when the club was in a bit of uh

turmoil, struggling. You know, Sir Alex

Ferguson has left. Um we've cycled

through a bunch of managers and we've

got um Olegosar as the manager at that

point. I think the club was seventh in

the Premier League when you joined. Um

and it was going through a time of

turbulence. You knew that Manchester

United wasn't the most stable club in

the world, but you chose to come here

anyway. And based on your rec record at

sporting, you would have had a lot of

other opportunities to join a club that

was more stable. That was, you know, and

it's interesting because clubs can have

a big impact on a player's future.

Players can have a big impact on a club,

but it also goes the the other way. And

as someone that runs businesses, you

know, the environment you join has a

huge impact on everyone's behavior. No,

no, irrespective of how hard you try.

You chose to join a club that was at the

time unstable.

Look, the the game I looked before I

came here was I think Burnley, United

Burnley and United loses at home 2-1. I

don't remember exactly but I know I know

they've lost that game and it was just

like days before I came and I was like

I I still think there is there's a lot

of potential in that team and a part of

having potential that team. I'm joining

one of the biggest clubs in the world

and I know that clubs go through periods

where things don't go the way they want

but sometimes it's not just because

they're not great. It's just because

other teams are being better than them.

And that's that's fine because in

football you're not going to win all the

time. But the thing you can do is like

you can bring your own values, your own

experience, your own qualities and

trying to help everyone else around you

to become better to become the team you

want to see. And I think at that time

that period of then we had the co time

and all the stuff but that period from

there to the end of the season the team

was unbelievable. and the season after

we got second place and because we

struggled in certain moments of keeping

keeping up to to the standard of city

that had a very good end of season but

for me was like I wasn't like I I'll fix

that. I was like I'm going to be the the

magic magic powder that's going to solve

all the problems. But I really knew that

this club had something special and for

me to join it was was like I can be part

of something that is going to become

great again and I still believe that and

obviously it can take time it's taking

more time than I thought. Yes, of

course. But at that time I had too many

dreams in my head and uh they still are

here and still a lot of things that I

want to achieve. But this smile and this

guy that came here in 2020 is is is

still is still is still the same guy

that wants to to win and succeed at this

club. I'm wondering, you know, because

there's been so much said about the

environment at Manchester United over

the years. I I know a little bit about

the environment when Sir Alex Ferguson

was here because I interviewed a lot of

his players and having been to

Carrington before and uh actually going

to the grounds and actually sitting in

the hospitality lounge and waitresses

coming over to me and talking about when

Sir Alex Ferguson was here and how he

knew everyone's name and then how it

changed. I it was really interesting to

me to get a lot of this feedback because

it highlighted how small things in

culture can have a big impact right down

to the the way players play. And there's

always a story that Gary Neville told me

about with Wendy and her charity balls.

He told me a story of players walking

past Wendy who got the charity ball

signed for a local charity and one day a

couple of them didn't sign it and Sir

Alex Ferguson came downstairs and he

quote killed us. And it's it's a

strange thing to do like to care that

much about a small detail in culture,

but over time Gary told me he he

understands why Sir Alex Ferguson cared

so much. So my question to you is really

about the cultural evolution at this

club and what the fans are desperate to

know about like how it's changed and how

it feels different from the time you

arrived in 2018 up until today. I've

brought in my behavior, my the way I've

been raised and all these things. And I

think every different player has brought

different things to the to the club. But

I think one of the things that has to be

always there is the respect for people.

And I think that says for me is a

non-negotiable thing. Like if any player

comes to this club and he doesn't

respect the physios, the pe the

stewards, the people that are in all the

desks we have here, the people that work

for us in the restaurant, the chefs and

all these people that are around us

taking care of us. Even if you don't see

it or if you don't think it or whatever

is for me is a non-negotiable thing that

the respect has to be always there. And

more than respect, the care you need to

care about them because if you have a

good foundation, a good base of respect

and and care in in your club, it's going

to get better. The environment gets

better. Everything is more positive

because I think and and this is probably

the way I've been raised. I treat

everyone in the same way. I don't treat

the players in a way that I don't treat

the clean lady or the people that are in

the front desk or the people that the

stewards and at the entrance. You know,

if I say good morning to these ones, I

say good morning to this ones. I don't

change that. If I give an shake to this

ones, I give an shake to this one. If I

greet them as I'm greeting my teammates,

they will feel part of it. They will

feel involved. They will feel as

important as them. Even knowing that the

role of them is completely different of

the other ones because the the role of a

CEO is one thing. But if the cleaner

doesn't clean everything nice and leaves

everything prepared and well well done

and everything, you will notice that

something is wrong. You will notice that

this is not the place where you want to

work for. You do you notice that you

don't want to be the CEO of a company

that has trash everywhere.

>> Yeah.

>> And so why wouldn't you greet the person

that takes care of you, takes care of

your place to look so good and to make

an impact when people come in from the

outside?

>> It reminds me of something actually

Johnny IV said. So Johnny IV is the

famous Apple designer that designed all

the Apple products that we know and

love. And he said um it's very hard to

feel care. He goes but everyone can feel

when someone didn't care. You go to a

restaurant and they didn't care. Small

things. He goes but it's like he said um

care is just this thing in the

background this ambient feeling you have

when you arrive somewhere but you can't

you can't like point out exactly what it

is but you can feel it.

>> That's the thing. I think it's more that

you feel it but you don't see it. And I

think touching this point I was I was

talking about cleaners. My mom was a she

was cleaning houses for work. So I never

wanted the people that were cleaning the

house to treat my mom badly or let's say

downgrade the work she's doing for them

because for example now I have a person

that works in my house. I don't allow my

kids to talk badly to her. I don't allow

my kids to say grab that and put it in

place. And I said it to her in the first

day she came to work and I said if

something is not in the in the right

place obviously I want you to clean. I

want you to put things in place. I want

all of this. But I don't want my kids to

tell you oh that uh arrange that or put

this in place. No. If they want

something they can ask you but first of

all they need to be respectful. If they

can't make it they have to ask you but

in the respect way. But if it's

something that they can make you have to

make them make it. Not like, oh, you do

it. No, just explain them how to do it.

Show them the way so they learn with it.

And this probably the way I behave with

the people that work with me. It comes a

lot because of my background of not like

it to see my mom because I was not in

the houses. Obviously, I don't know if

they treated well or not. My mom never

said to me that any of the people that

she work for were bad bad to her or

treat her in a in a bad way. So I really

think that that made me understand that

because I I don't want that for my mom,

I won't make that to other people.

>> I've been a Man United fan since I was a

kid. So like my siblings were born in

Manchester. I was saying to you before I

was born in um in Botswana in Africa,

but because I've got two older brothers

who are Man United fans, I very quickly

became a Manchester United fan. I

remember like 3 four years old and then

as soon as I could when I was 18, I

moved up from the southwest to

Manchester at 18 years old and I lived

here and went to my first Manchester

United games. I've seen the club go on

this incredible journey um from you know

Sorax Ferguson's era to this sort of

period of transition to where we are now

and it's my observation my honest

observation that after in the post

Fergie era the club made some bad

decisions as it relates to recruitment

and culture. Um people often talk about

um Edwards I'm not going to I'm not

going to try and stitch you up in any

way or get you to talk about anything in

particular. I'm just expressing my

opinion. They talk about Ed Woodward's

uh strategy towards signing players and

it being a bit flippant and then you

look at the sort of group of lads that

we had and just as a United fan watching

on the pitch, I felt the culture was a

bit confused because it didn't seem like

it seems now where it seems like there's

this really strong central agreement

around the values. It felt a bit I don't

know a bit like we had signed players

because they were famous or big but not

because they fit. And I feel when I look

at the club now, I go, "Oh, these guys

kind of fit." And whoever's doing

recruiting is thinking about character.

It feels to me like there's been this

process over the last couple of years of

getting rid of the wrong character

profiles. And I think Amaran really

spoke to this. He really talked about

getting rid of the players that didn't

have the right character profile. Just

to add one more line to this. I've

spoken to a lot of players at the club

in past and present and they expressed

the same to me as well that there was an

issue with sort of character profile

that has now been solved for. I think

the main mistake that the club has done

through the years that we've changed

manager to manager, they were very

different and that's already a bad sign

not of recruitment because then you

bring in players that fit that manager.

Mhm.

>> But the next one you brought plays a

completely different way and the three

or four or five that you bought don't

fit this one anymore. And then you have

to buy another four or five

>> and then the constantly change of

strategy in in in the club or in the way

we wanted to play or whatsoever was not

was not the best because then obviously

it becomes that the players don't suit

anymore. The system is not even more the

character than it comes up but it's more

the system. Then obviously we can talk

about character that players that were

certain players that were not a perfect

fit for the club but you never know it

until you bring it to the club. I think

sometimes you can see it and I think is

there players that I think the club by

the behavior they have on the pitch or

the behavior they have on on social

media whatsoever you can see if they

will be a fit for the club or not. And I

think the main thing for the club as you

said there you need to bring good

characters because that will be more

important to build something that good

qualities because good qualities they

all they will have. You don't bring a

player to Man United that doesn't have

qualities. But if you can add the

qualities to the character, that's a

win-win because the qualities will be

moment that the quality won't be as good

as you want because players go through

periods that sometimes they play very

good, sometimes they play very bad, but

the character remains the same. And

that's the character you want where they

are on a low to be the right character

to push himself to be on a high or at

the same time when they are on the low

to be the right character to push the

other ones to be at at the top level.

And I think that's the main thing that

the club has to do in terms of

recruitment and everything is bringing

people first of all that want to be a

Man United to play for Man United, not

to be a Man United just because it's a

big club. They want to be here because

this is the club they think and they

really understand that they want to

succeed with this club. They want to

bring this club back to the days we were

used to see Man United. I know it's been

12, 13 years. I know, but we want that

to get as short as possible to become

that club that won 20 Premier League

titles and is joined the most in the

Premier League.

>> Mhm.

>> So character in a football club is more

important than the quality because the

quality you always going to get it and

you can improve it. This is what I heard

from Patrice Ever. I remember him

telling me that he met Sir Alex Ferguson

in in an airport, I think in France, and

Sir Alex Ferguson sat him down and said,

"Are you willing to die for Manchester

United?" And he said, "Yes." And so he

shook his hand. He said, "Welcome to

Manchester United." And that's a

different way of recruiting. He's not

testing if he can kick a ball well. He's

testing if he's got the heart and that

mentality that I think Fergie and

previous sort of cohorts of Manchester

United really really cared about. I

think Sir Alex obviously he's done

mistakes in recruitment too because

obviously not every player was great but

he always brings players in any time and

any moment they would fit the club and

that's the main thing I think in terms

of recruitment but this is like

something that is not for me to get

involved but I will say it I understand

the club has different manager coming in

comes in and different ways of playing

and whatsoever but the recruitment has

to be for many United because the player

will get normally a 5 years contract and

the manager will get two and you know

that if he's not something is not

working the club always gets rid of the

manager first then he gets rid of the

player because it's much more difficult.

So I think you always have to bring

players that fit the club and then you

bring managers that fit the club and the

players you've got

>> and I think that says to be the the the

thing that for example let's talk about

club and pep why they were so successful

because they chose the players in

togetherness with the club that will fit

the club the system and the way they

wanted to play

>> and through the years have done mistakes

of course have they bought players that

didn't work yes but I think we're more

the ones that worked than the ones that

didn't. And the ones that didn't work, I

haven't seen many of them coming out and

talking bad about the club or about the

manager whatsoever. Yeah, it's difficult

to be there and a club buy you for 50,

60, 70 million and then you don't play

when you thought, oh, oh, I'm going to

play because they paying this amount of

money for me. I'm going to play. Then

you get there, you don't play. Of

course, it's difficult. But what I've

seen is that they built in a way that

the squad was strong enough to take care

of those players that were not playing

and were struggling. One of the things

I've noticed as a change, especially

this season, is all this social media

distraction. People posting on their

Instagram stories when they don't play

their brother's sister posting my

brother should be playing whatever. All

of this sort of like social media

stuff that some players were doing over

the last couple of years seems to have

vanished. And this is just an

interesting, you know, we talk about

small things being interesting signals.

It's one of the things I've noticed this

year there isn't social media nonsense

going on. How like I guess my question

is is that something the club has done?

Has there been have they sat you down

and said stop the social media stuff or

is it just a consequence of getting the

right people together?

I think it's a little bit both, but at

the same time, I think the club has to

be the one being strong with the

players. When they see something that is

not right or they don't like it or it's

not good on the players, on on the team,

on the attention this club gets. I think

the the club needs to talk with them and

with the agents with the families

whatsoever that speaks out and says

something because I think it's also on

the players to make the families and u

everyone that is behind them understand

that what they put out or what they say

can have consequences on our careers.

>> Do you do you talk to the players about

this? I've if if I see something that I

don't like or if I see them posting or

replying to some people on social

whatsoever because for example from such

a young age I've said to my parents I've

said to my brother I've said to my

sister I don't want you talking without

my like without me knowing it not

because they don't know how to talk or

whatever but they not aware what can be

bad or wrong they they might think they

will going to say something that is

going to be good for me but maybe has

repercussions on other people and I

don't want them to do that So my parents

never spoke, my brother never spoke, my

sister never spoke when I wasn't

playing. Let people make noise, let

people talk. Doesn't matter what they

say. I know for my mom, for example, she

suffers a lot with this. And I say,

"Take it in. Don't care. Pray pray at

your saints like you did to me all the

time and and make sure they do the right

thing for me because that's that's what

matters." And she she kind kind of like

gets okay with that. Obviously I know

that probably when my brother sees

something or my sister they want to

reply to something they want to say it's

not true why why you talking about this

or my my brother whatever I don't want

them to get involved in that because not

going to be good for them

>> not going to be good for me and it's not

going to be good for my environment then

I don't want that but I think that is

because I was strong with my family in

the in the first moment and I think

that's who we have to be I don't go home

to my family and saying like you know

this manager this this manager that I

might say what I like or I don't like

whatever but I don't go in a way of

like, oh, if I had someone that could

put something out because I've been

doing this, I I don't care like to

people to put out, oh, Bruno is training

so well, Bruno is doing this, Bruno is

doing that. I know I'm doing it. That's

enough for me.

>> And it's true because, you know, you've

been through this this process of

transition with Ollie, then Carrick,

then Raph, then Eric, then Reuben, then

Fletcher, then Carrick again. And

actually, one of the remarkable things

is I've never noticed

your attitude towards the managers be

any different. I can't tell. I can't

tell. As far as I'm aware, you support

them all. And that's how it should be. I

think if you've got a problem, I think

as you know, player, you should go tell

them. But we shouldn't know

and well, we don't know. With you, I

don't know what you think of them.

>> I agree with that. First of all, I like

every manager that comes in my way

because I learn with them. And every

manager that comes in has their own

idea, has their own thinking, has their

own way of playing. And they want me to

do one thing, the other one another

thing, the other one another thing. And

for me, that's good because they believe

that I'm capable of doing different

things that I was doing before. So, what

I won't give to the managers is the

choice or the option in their head to

think I'm not going to play Bruno. What

do you do when you're not happy about

something though as the captain? Do you

go have a chat with them?

>> No, I do whatever they want me to do. If

they think is the best thing for the

team, I'm going to do it. Either I agree

or not, believe it more or not. I make

myself

available for what they want to do.

100%. If then it works or not, that's on

them to to decide to decide that if it

needs to be changed or not. I'm not

going to go to the manager and ask them

to change formation, the way they play.

If they ask me, I give my opinion. If

they don't ask me, I don't say anything.

>> What have you learned about what a good

manager does and how to be a good

manager from the six managers you've

had?

>> For me, look, through my career, I've

always heard that, you know, like

certain players should be treated in a

different way than other players. I

don't believe in that. It's like the

same as having a business. you buy

certain people to do certain things

because you believe they the right

person to do that. So I don't think that

you then should change the way you

behave with them. You should probably

approach them in different ways. I

believe in that because I'm not the same

as you.

>> Yeah.

>> So do you treat players differently on

the pitch because you're you know you

shout at lots of your teammates. Are

there some that you won't shout at as

much? I treat I treat all of them the

same and I think they kind of getting to

know exactly why I do it everything that

we train in imagine let's see during the

week we train this and we have seen

images of this we know what we have to

do the menace has prepared for us for

that I demand that at least I don't I

don't care who you are we've been a full

week preparing the training the game for

this this we need to know how to do it

then if you can make a pass or you can

make a goal or you can make a tackle

That's different. That's the qualities I

need from each one individually. But

I've learned to talk with them in

different ways, but

with the same end result. Not like I

won't like go to one and say like being

scared of saying things to him

>> and the other one like because he's

younger whatsoever, I'm going to like

shout at him whatsoever. No. If I have

to shout at this one, I'll shout this

one. If I have to shout at this one,

I'll shout this one. If I have to praise

this one, I'll praise this one in the

same way I praise this one. And I think

that you can see in my interviews. I'm

not afraid of saying what I feel. At the

same time, I'm not afraid of praising

players for what they have done or what

they're doing. Even if they probably in

the moment they haven't done as much as

they needed to get the praise.

>> But for me, I think he needs that praise

to get into the next level. So, I'm

going to give him something. But I make

him aware. I've gave you something but

I'm expecting something more more from

you. It's like my dad giving me like you

need to be better, you need to do more

because he knows I'm capable of more.

And this is why I demand from the

players. I demand I'm I'm I'm very

strong on them because I I really

believe in them. I have said this so

many times to so many different players

is like trust me the day I stop talking

to you, the day I start shouting I stop

shouting at you is because I don't

believe in you anymore and I don't

believe you can improve anymore. your

time at Manchester United has been a bit

of a roller coaster like this kind of

like up and down and up and down. You

went second and then you dropped down

the league you're second and uh I mean

the last two years have been a prime

example of that finishing near the near

the bottom end of the table and then

this year back up to third. I'm

wondering as a fan when things get bad

and you hear all these sort of rumors

breaking online that the manager is

going to be sacked. Does that impact the

dressing room? Like do you guys in the

dressing room because you've been

through it so many times where a manager

has been removed? Do how what's that

like when you know things are going bad?

No, first of all, you feel it for the

manager is is the first thing because I

think obviously certain players will

feel it more than others because it's

that players that play more than others

and they obviously the ones that

probably don't play,

>> they don't like to see managers going,

but at the same time, if a new manager

comes in is a new opportunity for them

to probably get into the team more times

they were getting before.

>> And I think going through the process of

changing money is probably the worst

thing in in in sports because

it's starting from zero again. And

either either people believe it or not

when you're through a process you want

to get to the end of the process and

understanding what's what that has gave

to you as a player and what you can do

more with that staff with that team uh

and with that manager to go even further

more.

>> Why didn't you lose hope because you

went through that process of starting

from zero making progress manager goes

back to zero making progress manager

goes back to zero.

>> You know why? Because every time I've

spoke this with yoga before, every time

you come for preseason is like a new

start and you always get that belief of

like this is going to be the this is

going to be the time. This is going to

be the time is moments through the

season that you you get this belief that

things are not going well.

But the main thing I have is belief in

myself. So I always think if I do things

right and I take people to do things

right and I help them to do things right

as a team we still have a chance of

pushing ourself into positions we want

to be and this let's say this season has

been that case because we strug we

struggle obviously we didn't change

manager because of results because we

were two points behind second place and

like five points behind first place we

were same points till I think from third

to seventh place was everyone with the

same points something like that. So we

were we wore there was something

different with this with the club that

they felt that the the trust between

them was was broke or whatsoever and

they kind of decided to start a new

process and that was bad because for us

when Reuben came what was passed from

the club is like this is going to be a

process but we're going to go through

this going to be good and bad times but

we're going to go through this obviously

then the club decided that it was time

to part ways and you started from zero

for from with Michael

but then

you've got results and you went to the

end of the season and you finished third

and you finish what doing probably in

the time Michael was here till the end

of the season till till now is we

probably the team that has made more

points.

>> What did Michael change? I think in in

the first moment what what what Michael

tried to do is like to give stability to

the team because as every manager

understands when you come in after a

break, you understand that you need to

give stability and peace of mind to the

players to get back to the level he

thought we could have. and he brought

the foundation and the base that has

been in this club uh from the time he

played till the time he managed and then

he left. So he knows he knows the club

he knows how the club wants to play and

he knows what the fans want to see.

>> How is he different like what's what

tactically or from a character

perspective what does Michael bring as a

manager? I know as you know just an hour

ago or so it was announced that he's

going to be the Manchester United

manager going forward. Um, which is

great news. Um, but what what is if you

had to describe him to me as a leader

and a manager, what how is he different?

>> I think he's a very he gives you a a lot

of calmness, you know, in terms of uh

why he wants from the team, the way he

demands, the way he coaches. Um, he

gives you he gives you a good way of

going to the game with with a good peace

of mind but with a lot of responsibility

because I think from the time he was

here with Salex, he gave a lot of

responsibility to the players to make

decisions and to make choices on the

pitch that have to be on you. He gives

you the base. He gives you the

foundation. He gives you certain rules

that is like the non-negotiable ones.

But then he also knows and he wants us

to take some responsibility through the

game that things might change because

you prepare a game full week obviously.

But then the team could come and uh do a

different thing like you prepare to play

against a 4-33 because they always

played 4-33 and then they come and they

play 352 and then you go like oh and now

the manager come be on the sideline

telling you where to press, where to go.

So as a as a players have the

foundation, have the base, have the

rules, non-negotiables and from there on

we need to find a way of like okay let's

imagine we compress because they've

changed everything and the press we

prepared was not was not the one we

needed. Let's get compact let's get

together. They don't get into our block

when we have the ball we play with the

ball. we get into the off time and then

the manager will give us the message

that he wants to give or whatever he has

seen that we need to do differently in a

way of getting a better result from the

from the pressure and I think that's

what he gave to us the calmness and the

way he prepares games was very good but

when things were not going in the way we

wanted he gave responsibility to the

players to like make it work then we

solve it

>> ah so like a bit of freedom to

>> it's not exactly freedom because freedom

is a different thing He gives you

freedom with the ball to make decisions

because he says that's your

responsibility on the ball. I can't tell

you where to pass the ball. I can't tell

you where to shoot. I can help you where

the space is going to be. And I think

that the most important thing for a

player is knowing where space is going

to be. You need to know where spaces are

to then play with it. You know that they

have big gaps there that we can hurt

them from there. And this is the message

that Michael has passed to the team.

It's like if we attack from here, they

have less people on this side. we can

bring more people in the box from this

side. We want a very good counter press

because they have two strikers. So we

need to have three people in the back.

Two of them mark, one of them stays

behind. So this is the small things and

the foundation that he give to us. But

then he says many times, I can't tell

you where to pass. I can't tell you

where to shoot. I give you the solutions

but might not be there. So you have to

find a way of making the good pass, the

good shot, the good decision because I'm

not going to be in your head in that

moment. in their head it's going to be

the ideas I gave you and some of them

will be good some of them won't won't

work out so you have to make a way of

like understand the good ones I gave you

and the other ones that are not working

well you need to find a way of make it

work

>> so it's more just he gives you the

principles uh instead of specific

instructions on how to play and what to

do

>> kind of gives you but then he lets you

balance through the game

>> okay

>> he lets let's say he lets the players

read the

Because

in 90 minutes many things happen and not

going to always happen what you see in

the video. Hopefully yes but not always.

For example, let's say we had the chance

against um Nottingham Forest that I

passed the ball through Brian and he

scores. We have seen the same chance

from Villa against Forest. The exact

same chance, exact same movements, exact

same passes. And we've seen that. We

visualized that and that's why that

works because we had the ideas. We knew

we could make that happen and we made

it.

>> Does he get angry cuz he seems like such

a calm guy when you see him in press

conferences. He's very calm and very you

know.

>> Yeah, he did. He did he did got angry

one once or twice but he's very calm in

the way he speaks. But I think I think

everyone gets hungry anyway. But u he's

a very calm presence and he's is someone

that speaks very well knows the timing

the words he knows what to say. Um and

whenever he got when he let's get let's

say more aggressive within us was was

the time that we needed to to get that

from him. And the way that you play is

interesting because it when I was

looking at um a bunch of your quotes

over time, but also how I think about

business. You are a player that takes

more risks than most people. And we talk

a lot about failure in business and how

you have to increase your rate of

failure to to to get better outcomes.

But you're a player that is not shy of

taking a risk. And you play in a way

where you you sometimes lose the ball,

but you also, as we've seen this year

and in many other years, you often are

generating more opportunities than any

other player on the pitch. How do you

think about this? Because the way you

play means that sometimes you're going

to make a lot of mistakes. You're going

to lose the ball more so than other

players. I'd argue even more so than

some of the previous midfielders we've

had like Carrick who would often choose

a more safe option than trying to play

it through a thin gap. What's your

attitude towards risk?

>> I think it's always riskreward. You

know, you you need to understand how

much reward you're going to get from

that. Um and if taking that risk is good

for the team or not. Let's say the

position I play.

You need that is has to be one of your

main skills to take risks to do things

that the game demands from you and to

make sure that your team teammates in

the front get the ball in the positions

that is going to be

the rate of success for them to score a

goal is going to be higher. I might miss

two or three times, but if I get one

right, that can become a goal for us.

And I think there's nothing better than

a riskreward that is a goal. So I think

when you play as a number 10 position,

obviously you don't want to lose the

ball. You have to make that as less as

possible. But in certain positions, you

lose the ball more often than others.

Wingers will lose more the ball on one

v1s than midfielders do. Fullbacks will

do normally more crosses than center

backs will do. Number sixes will make

more tackles than a striker will do. So

is a balance in the team that you need

to have. Let's imagine I played with

Kobe and Cassad, they not a risk player.

So if I take four times, let's say uh

risky pass and they take one each,

that's six times a game. So I need to be

the one that takes four. They need to be

the ones that take one one each because

the responsibility they have in the team

is the one that they make the team play

from the buildup, push the team forward

to then get the ball into the players

that have to take the risks

>> because if you don't have the players

that take the risks,

you're going to end up bubbling. And we

talk like for example let's say

Man City that is a team that that let's

say Guardiola Tikitaka all these things.

De Bruin was the player that take the

risks.

>> Cherokee is not the player that take the

risks. Phil Falden Dou Mahrez will be

the ones that taking the risks on a 1 v

one.

>> Has a manager ever told you to take less

risks?

>> Eric told me to take less shots

>> from the outside of the box. He showed

me a a board with my success rating of

shots on target, shots off target, and

goals. Showed me the positions where I

was more effective. And he told me, I

think you need to get more into these

positions to then make your shot.

>> Into what positions?

>> Let's say close to the box like in in

the position we would see the box and

you would say like more towards left

hand side, you score more goals. more

towards the right hand side, you're you

aim more the goal towards the middle of

the of of the of the edge of the box,

you miss more shots. So, he was like,

get more into the left side or get more

into the right side or close range, long

range. So, but then obviously is is is

we come back to the risk and reward cuz

sometimes obviously you're going to

score a great goal from 25 yards out.

>> Mhm.

>> But how many times you going to do it

out of five? you maybe score one and

he's a lot already. So I need to make

that risk become less and less and less

getting more risk probably from 18 yards

because there the possibility of me

scoring a goal it might be three in five

because I'm much more closer. I can put

more power on the ball. I can be much

more effective.

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You've had lots of managers, so they've

all asked you of different to be, you

know, playing different positions. But

on on this pitch here, where is it that

you you like to play the most?

I think the positions where I can be

more effective is this square. Let's say

here I would say let's let's put it like

this.

>> Okay.

>> Yeah. No, just just need a square.

>> Oh, you just need a square.

>> This is let's say imagine we attacking

this side. This this is the spaces where

I think I can be more effective in this

square here. And different managers

asked you to play in different positions

within here

>> because for example

uh let's say let's put here with Ruben

he used to play three at the back one

wing back two midfielders

uh another wing back and striker two

with Ruben. I played a lot of times here

in this position when he first came and

he wanted me and and in this position

these two more more than often you

wanted me to be one of these two to help

here to help these two midfielders to

build up

>> and to get this guy higher in the

position when he can be in the last line

and to get the ball into these two. So

what position would you call that? Like

left.

>> This was the left 10, let's say. But he

wanted me to play more like as a left

midfielder. Okay.

>> To help them to like first of all to

have more stability in the middle.

Second to get the ball going forward

>> to take the risk of passing the ball

forward. Then I played a lot of times

here.

>> What we're going to do is we're going to

make you unfortunately we're going to

make you blue just so we can see which

one you are.

>> Okay.

>> Okay. So in this one when I played here

many times he wanted me here

>> because they were pressing let's say

three against three and he wanted me to

come and do the overload. So we had one

more player to build up so they will

open up this ones a little bit more get

this one more offensive normally was

Luke Shaw then as a fullback he was used

to play in this space and so then we

could drive the ball and they couldn't

press with the three they had they

wouldn't be able to press because we

always had this one also to bounce the

ball. Then whenever we go up the pitch

with the ball, you wanted me here.

>> Reuben did.

>> Yeah. You wanted me to play more a

little bit more higher to be one of the

three T10s and make this line of 310.

Then for example with the Ole I was

playing we would play like four two

three one and I will be the number 10.

And you wanted me to do this.

>> Uh okay. Go across. And sometimes you

wanted me to do this and get the ball

here or here to make the long passes and

to make the switches to the the wingers.

I think

this bit here in the middle is where I'm

more

I can I I think we all can see the best

version of Bruno. If you ask me where I

prefer to play, anywhere on the pitch.

I think for the way we play, this is the

position I I can be more effective, but

I think I really enjoy to play here

because I really enjoy to get the team

to play and if he I played many times

with Tanagard like this.

>> Mhm.

>> I was the number six playing with 28 and

I really enjoy it to play here and it

make make myself being different a

different player more aggressive off the

ball. someone that has to cover spaces

for these ones.

>> Regardless of where you are on the

pitch, which can change, what is

non-negotiable in terms of how you play?

>> Commitment.

That's that's non-negotiable. Like the

commitment I have for what we have to

do. It doesn't change by me liking the

position or not, me preferring one

position or the other. Um that that

won't change. Um,

I think running, fighting, and team

spirit can never miss.

>> It doesn't appear to me that you ever

get tired. And also, one remarkable

thing about you is you don't seem to

ever get injured.

>> I get tired and I got injured

unfortunately. Oh,

>> but how how does that happen? Cuz I I

watch you run it be the 89th minute and

you're running up and down still. Is

that genetic or is that something you do

in training? What is that? I think

obviously I've I have to say that I have

good genetics but um is

I I was talking with yoga about this the

other day also and the nutritionist

about like genetics how how you how you

treat yourself and everything. Uh but

then then the same time I said to them

you know what's different on me than the

other ones because I always train 100%.

I make the training as a game. I don't

care. I go full and if I I don't feel

good I I I need to make some extras. If

I feel that the training wasn't like

enough, let's do something else. Let's

do some shots. Let's do some crosses to

someone. Let's do something that can

make me go out of training and feeling

like I'm tired.

>> Why is that important? Because I think

in the game you need to get tired and

then you know like for example when when

I'm training shooting practice or last

third passes I rather train that when

I'm tired because going to be the last

20 minutes of the game your brain is not

going to work in the same way it was

working in the beginning because you get

tired and you get to think slower a

little bit. So you need to be able to

train your body and your brain when they

are tired. And I think if you do that in

training, when you get to the game and

you start getting tired, your brain is

used to that also. Your body is used to

be tired and it knows how to react into

into that moment.

>> These core principles that have been

central to how you play have led you to

being given this the captain's armband,

which was quite there's lots of talk of

it at the time because Maguire was the

captain before you. And it's quite typ

atypical for the captain to be displaced

while they're still at the club and for

someone else to be brought in. And as

fans from the outside, we wonder how

Maguire takes that, how Harry reacts to

that, but also what that means to you to

become captain of uh your dream club.

No, obviously for me was was a strange

time because I was not expecting, you

know, uh Tenner called me to his uh

office to speak with me and to ask me if

I wanted to be the captain of the club

because he had decided to change the

captain and he wanted me to be to be the

one to lead the team from now on. H

obviously first thought was like very

grateful. um like in something that I've

never dreamed about, you know, like you

you can have many dreams, but you don't

dream about being the captain, you know,

like of your club. And I think the

second thought was like this is going to

be tough on Harry. And the first person

that I spoke with after I got out of

that was Harry because he knew already.

I think the manager spoke to him and

before I said yes, I went to speak with

him. uh because the the manager

basically made me the question if I

wanted also that he didn't said like

you're going to be the captain that's it

point he asked me and I went to speak

with Ari and the first question I made

was if he was leaving the club because

obviously as you said it's not something

normal I've never been through this in

in my whole career and I spoke with him

about that the offer that they gave it

to me and to be honest to him and he

said he said like if is there someone

that that deserves that is you and I'm

I'm very very happy that is is you

getting the captain armband that uh if I

have to take it off for myself I think

you really deserve that and I think that

was the point that made me understand I

was doing things right you know uh

obviously I know for him was very

difficult and I don't think he would

have said something bad even if he felt

it uh to me but the way we spoke and the

way I think I've been treating him

through these years also in the same way

of like I said straight away to him like

you might have lost the arman but he's

still one of our leaders and that won't

change everything that we've been

through because Ari when he was the

captain we always make decisions

together also because I was one of them

and that hasn't changed now because

every time I have to do or take some

decisions for the team I speak with

certain players and Harry is one of them

that is always there

>> and your performance this season speaks

for itself uh you've won

you've well you've done 34 four

appearances, which I think is an

achievement in and of itself because a

lot of players aren't that consistent on

the pitch. Um, you've scored eight

goals, 20 assists. You've got 12 player

of the match awards, which is the most

by any player in the Premier League, six

player of the month awards, and only

Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, and Muhammad

Salah have more. All of them have seven.

And you've also won Matt Busby's player

of the year award for the fifth time,

the most by any other Man United player.

And this that's an award voted by the

fans. And there's other awards that I

know you've won in recent times. I saw

you on stage the other day winning more

awards. What has what's happened? Why

why are you sudden you know you've had

you've been consistent throughout the

whole time since you've been at the

club, but this year seems to stand out

for some reason.

>> No, I think I think for this season,

first of all, I think when the team

shines, the individual comes up and I

think this season is being much better

from the last let's say two seasons. At

the same time, uh I think the assists

record and all this going around made

made me having a lot of headlines and

and and and stuff like that obviously is

is an achievement that hasn't been done

for any player. It's just Kevin De

Bruyne and Tierry. So

>> I've got the little graph here. It says,

"Yeah, Kevin De Bruyne." Thi actually

spoke to to Thierry about this as well

and he sends his regards to you.

Congratulates you on um joining him up

there um with with the record. Yeah,

it's it's something like that I'm very

grateful for, you know, like we I put I

put my name in this in this case with

them up there is something something

that I've never dreamed about or think

about. I like I probably start thinking

about that when I got probably into 16

17 assists. I was like, "Oh, I'm I'm

actually getting closer now." Uh but it

was not something that was in my head

because in my head is always improving

my last season and getting better

numbers, better outputs, better

performance and was never in my mind

that I would go to 18, 19, 20 or

whatsoever. Uh but obviously when you

start getting close, you start thinking

about a little bit

>> and then all of us as fans start

watching the games to see if you can do

it.

>> And then and then obviously I think um

I've been very consistent in terms of

performance during my six years here.

But um probably other years were people

that stand out that more than me and

that's why I probably didn't got as much

attention as I did this season. with

being captain and with being at the

biggest club in the world. I think in

terms of fan base, um with that comes

pressure and responsibility, the world

talks about you. You know, no matter

what industry you're in, an occupational

hazard of of being at the very very top

or the peak of your powers or being even

better is more and more talk. And you

know, I think especially because of

this, people are talking even more about

Bruno Fernandez than I've ever seen. You

know, in my group chat, I've got a Man

United group chat and we're watching the

game. We're watching you. we're willing

you to we were willing you to reach this

record which you did and now because

you're you know people are saying you're

the you're the player of the year in the

Premier League. They're they're giving

you all these big awards. With that

comes even more criticism and I think

this is where your childhood has

prepared you.

>> Yeah.

>> That your dad sounds like your dad

prepared you. I I wanted to I wanted to

clear something up because it was on my

mind. Um, and I imagine it's frustrating

for you, which is when your words are

twisted in the media. And recently Roy

Keane criticized your mentality based on

a quote he got completely backwards. He

claimed you said, "I should have shot,

but I made the passes and used that to

suggest that you were chasing individual

assist stats. But everyone who actually

listened to the interview, including

myself, knows you said almost the exact

opposite. You were being self-critical

of yourself in saying you should have

passed the ball instead of shot because

you wanted the best for your team." And

so, interestingly, because I've spoken

to so many of your your players, your,

you know, your teammates over the last

couple of days about you, they also told

me that this is the exact opposite of

your mentality on the pitch and off the

pitch. And I know it must be frustrating

for your leadership style to be sort of

misrepresented in that way. Um, how how

how do you respond to that? Like, how do

you deal with that when you hear it and

you go, "That's not what I said."

>> Yeah. To be honest, like I've always

said, I don't mind criticism. I've

always take criticism from everyone and

anyone and I never reply to anything or

whatsoever. People have an opinion, they

think it's good, bad, whatever. What I

don't like was when people lie about

things and this case that you said about

Roy Kin, basically what he said is a lie

because you can either either he saw

some other interview or he can't say

that I said one thing that I've just not

said. And luckily for me is everything

on record. Imagine if he wasn't like

then people will think like oh yeah

Bruno is is the guy always trying to got

the assist but one thing that is

consistent is my number of creation is

always the same. So it's not that I've

been trying to reach this now no I've

been creating chances since I came to

the Premier League probably more than

anyone else. So he hasn't changed that

my type of play or of play or way of

playing hasn't changed since I came to

the Premier League. It's not that this

season probably Roy Kein saw someone

like Bruno creating more because he

wanted the assist record. No, he's

seeing the same Bruno that is about

risky reward, is about creating chances

for his teammates, is about getting the

best out of the other ones. Because the

thing is like you will get criticized in

a way if you say if you're scoring

goals, you'll get criticized because

you're not passing the ball and you're

shooting. If you if you if you're doing

assists is because you're passing too

much and you're not shooting to score

goals. So, it's going to always be like

that. people will always make the the

the balance the way they want. They

won't balance thing. They will put it

the the way they want to the things to

be. And obviously, I think I've always

showed a lot of respect for for Raen and

for everything he's done for the club

and for everything he's is is um he's