Fernandes' leaked WhatsApp voice note shows he was destined for this moment

20 July 2023 , 17:06

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Fernandes' leaked WhatsApp voice note shows he was destined for this moment

Bruno Fernandes has officially been appointed Manchester United captain by Erik ten Hag after Harry Maguire was stripped of the role.

Maguire had been skipper for three-and-a-half years, but has fallen down the pecking order under Ten Hag and Fernandes was the obvious option to replace him. The Portuguese playmaker captained United on 45 occasions last and it is no surprise Ten Hag has handed him the responsibility on a permanent basis.

And Fernandes has already shown that he has the right attitude to be United's new skipper, with the 28-year-old one of the most vocal players on the team who demands the very best from his teammates.

He was also previously Sporting Lisbon's captain, having been handed the role shortly after joining them from Sampdoria in 2017. And while he was at Sporting, a WhatsApp voice note was leaked demonstrating his mentality and desire.

In the voice note, Fernandes is critical of his then teammates for their poor attitudes and lacklustre performances. "Bro, I don't say anything! I honestly, if you want me to tell you, I'd rather not comment on anything," he is quoted as saying, per Portuguese publication Record.

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"I think very badly of some of the attitude of some players. Actually not a certain attitude, it's an attitude that does not exist. There are players who have no attitude here, bro.

"They don't want to be here, they don't want to play. They don't want to be here then f*** off, let them say they don't want to play. They spend a year here getting money, and then they f*** off, bro. S*** attitude bro, for f**** sake."

Bruno Fernandes has been named Manchester United's new captain (Getty Images)

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And Ten Hag has previously hailed Fernandes as an "inspiration" to his teammates, praising his commitment to the club after he "did everything to get fit" for a game against Tottenham Hotspur in April just four days after picking up an ankle injury in United's FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton. "It was tough. A big compliment on Bruno," Ten Hag said.

"He absolutely doesn't want to miss this game, he did everything to get fit. He is the example [of] you have to struggle to play on [the] top level and you want to achieve something.

"Once again he showed what a great captain he is, how he has taken responsibility, even when he's not 100 per cent fit. But he did the job. He was important in this game as well and hopefully others in the team can, not learn [from him], but see him as an inspiration and do the same."

Matthew Cooper