Noel Whelan has claimed the Man United captaincy could transform Bruno Fernandes into a “different player” after his winning start in the role.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Coolbaze, insisted the 27-year-old is “relishing being the main man” after a muted 2021-22 campaign.
Fernandes handed Man United all three points against Southampton on Saturday (27 August) after scoring with a first-time volley during a 1-0 away win.
Outstanding finish! 🎯
Bruno Fernandes finds the back of the Southampton net with a first-time finish ✅ pic.twitter.com/P9oCDRLaOA
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 27, 2022
The midfield star was wearing the captain’s armband for the second consecutive win after Harry Maguire was dropped from the starting lineup last week.
Fernandes notched 18 goals and 11 assists in his first full season at Man United (2020/21).
However, he struggled to reach those same heights last term after suffering in the shadow of international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Whelan suggested Fernandes has a “huge opportunity” to cement his role as the “main star” once again after Ronaldo’s demise.
He told CoolBaze‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “He’s got an abundance of talent.
“Sometimes you need to give someone the armband and that responsibility in order to make a player like Fernandes tick.
“I think he’s relishing being the main man again for Man United. It’s a huge opportunity to be the main star again.
“Wearing the armband can sometimes bring out a different player – just look at Rodrigo at Leeds, who has been captain while Patrick Bamford is out.
“I don’t think Bruno Fernandes will be any different.”