Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has accused Roy Keane of lying about his successful bid to break the Premier League record for most assists in a single season.
Fernandes reached a record 21 assists for United in the top flight this season when he scored for Patrick Dorgu in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Brighton.
The 31-year-old equaled the previous record, shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, a week earlier during United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.
But former United midfielder Keane is unimpressed by Fernandes’ pursuit of the milestone.
The outspoken Keane said Fernandes had put individual glory above the interests of the team, describing him as the center of a “circus act”.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Keane said: “After the (Forest) game he was interviewed and he said: the Manchester United captain said: ‘A couple of times I probably should have shot but I let them pass.’
“Wow. How can your mentality of a footballer go into a match to achieve an individual record? He won’t win any trophies, not with that team mentality.”
However, the former United captain appeared to be wrong about Fernandes’ comments as the Portuguese star actually said: “There were probably moments today where I should have passed instead of shooting.
“I’m very happy with the assist, but more than that, I’m happy with the win and the season on a high.”
Asked about Keane’s blast on Monday, Fernandes hit back at the Old Trafford legend.
“As I’ve always said, I don’t mind criticism,” Fernandes told The Diary on a CEO podcast. “What I don’t like is when people lie about things and (in) this case that you said about Roy Keane, what he said is actually a lie.
“Either he saw another interview or he can’t say that I said one thing that I just didn’t say, and luckily for me everything is set in stone.
«I accept that he likes me as a player or not, likes me as a person or not. But what I don’t like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said.»
Fernandes’ excellent form this season has seen United finish third in the top flight, earning him the Football Writers Association and Premier League Player of the Season awards.
But he was so unhappy with Keane’s criticism that he contacted former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to ask for the Irishman’s phone number so the pair could resolve the issue.
“Of course I think I’ve always shown a lot of respect for Roy Keane and everything he’s done for the club and everything he’s always said,” Fernandes said.
“What I don’t like is people making their own words about what I say, and that’s not true.”
Published on May 26, 2026
