Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has publicly called out former United skipper Roy Keane for spreading what he describes as an “unacceptable lie” about his comments, after Keane criticized the midfielder’s pursuit of the Premier League assist record and labeled it a “circus act”. The dispute centers on remarks Keane made on _The Overlap_ podcast following United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, where Fernandes equaled the Premier League single-season assist record previously shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Keane claimed Fernandes said after the match: “A few times, I probably should have shot but I made them passes,” and argued that such a mindset showed the captain was putting individual glory over the team’s interests, adding “He won’t be winning trophies, not with that mindset”.
Fernandes responded that Keane had misquoted him, insisting his actual post-match words were the opposite. He told reporters after the Forest game: “There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot. I’m very happy for the assist, but more than that, I’m happy for the win and to finish the season on a high”. Speaking on _The Diary of a CEO_ podcast, the 31-year-old said he accepts criticism but will not tolerate falsehoods. “What I don’t like is when people lie about things… 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 everything is on record,” Fernandes said. He added that while Keane may or may not like him as a player or person, “what I don’t like is that he puts words in my mouth that have not been said”.
Fernandes broke the record in United’s final game of the 2025-26 season, registering his 21st assist in a 3-0 win at Brighton when he set up Patrick Dorgu. He finished the campaign with nine goals and 21 assists in 35 Premier League appearances, helping United secure third place and a return to the Champions League. His performances earned him both the Football Writers’ Association and Premier League Player of the Season awards.
The United captain revealed he messaged former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get Keane’s phone number so they could discuss the issue directly, stressing he has always respected Keane and what he did for the club but wanted to address the misrepresentation. Keane appeared to respond with a cryptic Instagram post that read: “Too much attention makes a donkey think he’s a lion”. Fernandes maintained that his way of playing has not changed to chase records, noting his chance creation numbers have been consistently high since he arrived in the Premier League.
