Roy Keane and Ian Wright clash over Bruno Fernandes in heated exchange on the Man United captain after Arsenal legend called him a ‘winner’… as co-pundit AGAIN criticises the Portuguese star

Roy Keane and Ian Wright have clashed over Bruno Fernandes and whether he is a good influence in the Manchester United dressing room.

Fernandes, 29, has been one of the bright spots at Old Trafford in recent years, scoring 143 goals in 229 games since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.

The Portuguese midfielder was once again a standout star for United this time in a chaotic and disappointing season, with Erik ten Hag’s side marred by problems both on and off the pitch.

Fernandes was appointed captain last summer but is regularly criticized for his body language and attitude towards teammates on the pitch. Dressing room.

And Arsenal icon Wright jumped to the defense of Fernandes – who scored twice in United’s 4-2 win over Sheffield United on Wednesday – and said he is one of the club’s best assets at the moment.

United skipper Fernandes has been one of the standout stars at Old Trafford in recent years

But he is regularly criticized for his body language and attitude towards teammates

“I think Bruno is a winner,” he continued the Stick with the football podcastis sponsored by Sky bet.

‘He’s frustrated. No matter what we say, he has his faults and waves his arms, but he is the kind of player who tries (to change things).”

However, no-nonsense Keane took umbrage with Wright’s claims as the pair trolled the 29-year-old.

He said: ‘He hasn’t won anything in his career, he’s 29 years old. What has he won in his career?’

Wright responded, “(I appreciate) he didn’t win anything. But regardless of whether he wants to be a winner, his standards are high.

‘If you take Bruno out of Man United, we are talking about players who have not improved. “If he doesn’t do what he does, United won’t be anywhere near where they are.”

Wright also acknowledged that Fernandes’ on-field antics are not ideal, but insisted they were more than justified.

He added: “He’s frustrated, he probably sees it every day at training, people not meeting the standards of what he’s looking for, and it’s spilling over into a Saturday.

‘Because he (still) brings ‘it’ when we talk about his histrionics, he brings it. If Man United are saved in a match, it is likely he will do it. He has every right to be angry with them because they should be doing better.”

Keane then delivered his side of the argument, admitting he appreciated Fernandes’ qualities but questioning his impact on Ten Hag’s side overall.

“I think he’s a talented kid,” he added. ‘But does he help people and make others around him better?

‘The answer is 100 percent no. He enjoys digging them out, which is fine, but you have to drag the others along too.

‘Would you like to be in the United dressing room today while these lads…’ I’m not sure about him, I think he’ll be fine if we win, but we won’t win every time.

“How do you stop that momentum and flex your muscles during games? That is what I want.

“We talk about talented players, but sometimes it’s about personalities in big games and getting you over the line in big games.”

Wright claimed United would be in a much worse position now if it weren’t for the 29-year-old

But Keane questioned his personality and insisted he does not make those around him better

However, Wright remained steadfast in his opinion and continued to clash with Keane in the fiery exchange, saying: ‘Bruno has that’, before the Irishman replied: ‘Where’s the evidence? Where’s the evidence?’

Wright then added: ‘The way he plays and the way he saves the club.’

This further angered Keane as he said: ‘Save the club? Look, he hasn’t won anything in his career. He hasn’t won anything in his career. Look at his resume. if he is one of your best players, you have a responsibility.”

The Arsenal icon reaffirmed his views, insisting that Fernandes ‘leads by example’ on the pitch and felt it was unfair to single out the Portuguese for criticism given his contributions, before Keane ended the discussion by saying: ‘ Example? There’s more to the game than that.’

Roy Keane and Ian Wright spoke at the Stick to football podcast, brought to you by Sky bet.