Wayne Rooney admits his mistake in assessing MU's super midfielder.

Once seen as a controversial signing and met with much skepticism, Bruno Fernandes has now shattered all prejudices. Even a strict legend like Wayne Rooney has publicly admitted he underestimated the Portuguese midfielder.

Bruno joined MU in January 2020 from Sporting Lisbon in a deal that could reach £68 million. Since then, the Portuguese midfielder quickly became one of the Red Devils' most successful signings post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, sharing on BBC's The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney frankly admitted that initially he was not entirely convinced by Bruno Fernandes.

“When Bruno first came to Manchester United, to be honest I was a bit skeptical. My feeling, as well as many people I've spoken to, was that we didn't really like the way he performed on the pitch,”

The turning point in Rooney's view came after a conversation with Darren Fletcher a few years ago. The former MU midfielder told Rooney about Bruno's true qualities, from his professional ability, behavior in the dressing room, to his leadership role within the team.

Rooney became even more convinced when witnessing the consistent performances and enduring influence of the Portuguese midfielder season after season. In particular, a face-to-face meeting a month ago helped Rooney understand much more about his junior. After having the opportunity for an in-depth conversation, the greatest scorer in MU history highly praised the high-level mindset, seriousness, and leadership qualities of the Manchester United captain.

The 2025/26 season is the clearest proof of Bruno Fernandes' influence, even as the Red Devils experienced many changes on the coaching bench. From Ruben Amorim to Michael Carrick - who was just officially appointed, the Portuguese superstar maintained top form, reaching a historic milestone of 21 assists and helping Manchester United finish 3rd in the Premier League, thereby securing a Champions League spot.

To date, Bruno Fernandes has scored 107 goals and provided 108 assists in 327 matches for Manchester United. He, along with Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, become the only three players in Red Devils history to reach at least 100 goals and 100 assists.

Rooney asserted: "The best players always know how to lift their teammates. Bruno has done that and set the standards. He is the first name I put into my Team of the Season."

This superb performance helped the Portuguese maestro overcome many tough rivals such as goalkeeper David Raya, midfielder Declan Rice (Arsenal), striker Erling Haaland (Man City), or striker Igor Thiago (Brentford) to claim the award: Football Writers' Association (FWA) Player of the Year.

Closing a brilliant domestic campaign, Bruno Fernandes now faces the biggest challenge of his career: The World Cup finals. At the upcoming biggest football festival on the planet, he is no longer in the shadow of his seniors but has risen to become one of the biggest hopes of the Portuguese national team. Fans are waiting for the exemplary captain of Old Trafford to bring the flame of desire and the class of the Premier League assist king to lead the European Seleção in conquering the world's summit.