Bruno Fernandes reached 200 goal involvements for Manchester United in February, joining an exclusive group of Reds.
His shinned, perfectly placed finish against Tottenham Hotspur at the start of last month took him to the mighty milestone, recorded across all competitions.
In the Premier League era, only Wayne Rooney got there faster, which means our captain is outpacing some fine names.
It solidifies Bruno as one of United's greatest creative maestros in the modern era – below is a list of some of the other elite figures in that group...
RYAN GIGGS (1991-2014)
Where else to start than with the only player present for all 13 of United's Premier League titles? Unsurprisingly, Giggs's attacking numbers are phenomenal: more assists than anyone else in Premier League history and fifth on the UEFA Champions League list.
The Wales international's genius was to adapt and contribute no matter what the circumstances. He started as a blistering winger that could blind opponents with trickery and jet-powered speed, but as his career went on, he proved he could do everything.
Right wing, central midfield, left-back – wherever Giggs played, whatever his age, he would deliver skill, energy and imaginative bravery. And his numbers almost certainly underestimate his influence, due to the increasing work he did in deeper midfield as his career went on.
A clip doing the rounds on social media recently showed Giggs winning the ball back in midfield against Blackburn Rovers in April 2003, before dribbling past three players and sliding a delicious reverse pass to Ruud van Nistelrooy, who then set up Paul Scholes for a tap-in. The Dutchman got the assist, but without Giggs's work in the middle, the goal would never have been possible.
There's kinds of moments show the limits of the term 'goal involvements', but Giggs's place in the canon doesn't rely on them, of course. He was – as the late, great football journalist James Lawton put it – “nothing less than the poster boy for football evolution”
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ERIC CANTONA (1992-1997)
The Frenchman spent just five seasons in Manchester, and, therefore, had little chance of reaching the 200-club, like Fernandes and Giggs. But that he managed to net 82 goals and provide 66 assists in just 185 games makes him arguably United's greatest creative player in the Premier League era.
When Eric arrived in November 1992, United were barely scoring and without a title in 26 years. What he unleashed, almost immediately, was not just his own personal creativity, but some kind of imaginative liberation for the entire team.
All the names included in this piece were brilliant creators, but none set up goals and scored them with the elan and balletic grace of Cantona. Yes, he did his job – score goals and set them up – but Eric gave much more than that.
He seemed to imbue United with a completely fresh sense of freedom and possibility.
DAVID BECKHAM (1992-2003)
More than 20 years after he left England, Beckham remains the Premier League's most prolific free-kick taker. His crossing remains iconic; the goal standard for footballers all over the glove.
Close your eyes now and you can surely see him: arms spread wide, that right foot ready to unfurl the most gloriously controlled swish. He could find his team-mates from corners, free-kicks, from a standing start or on the run. From the byline, or deep inside his own half.
Look back on United's greatest-ever season, the Treble campaign, and it's no exaggeration to state that Beckham was United's primary source of goals. While he didn't get the assist for Sheringham or Solskjaer's monumental finishes in the Nou Camp, his corners created the necessary chaos.
Another factor of his brilliance was the incredible, telepathic understanding Beckham and all of the Class of '92 had with each other. It undoubtedly gave United an edge over other teams, in the same way the Iniesta-Messi-Xavi triumvirate later did for Barcelona.
PAUL SCHOLES (1994-2013)
It was always something of a minor shame that Scholes was never gifted a terrace anthem beyond 'He scores goals galore, he scores goals...' Because while the Ginger Prince was indeed a prodigious finisher – and even started his United career as a second striker.
“His reading of the game is unsurpassed,”
explained team-mate Peter Schmeichel. “He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have.”
Unsurprisingly, this made Scholes Manchester United's chief creative conductor once Roy Keane had left in 2005. Anyone who remembers watching the Salford-born genius play will recall the shouts of 'shoot!' when Scholes would receive the ball on the edge of the area.
No matter the circumstances, or how desperate United were for a goal, he always followed his own nose, and almost always chose the right option, which made him both a great scorer of goals and a magnificent servant to his team-mates. And when a low block needed breaking down, you wanted Scholes's imagination and wit in your corner.
Whether the situation demanded simplicity or innovation, the Middleton man had the tools.
WAYNE ROONEY (2004-2017)
One of only three players to notch 100 goals and 100 assists in the Premier League, alongside Giggs and Frank Lampard, Rooney was a force of nature all over the pitch. Much like his Welsh pal, he could be deployed anywhere and still contribute with tackles, passes, brilliant skill and creativity.
Given the job of playing as a pure centre-forward after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, he battered 34 goals home in 2009/10, only to later reveal he had been “bored”
, so keen was he to be involved in the build-up play.
Thankfully, he spent most of his Reds career in the no.10 position, where his barrelling runs, brilliant passes and selfless work-ethic made him Ferguson's most multi-functional Swiss army knife.
History will always remember Rooney as United's leading goalscorer, while he holds that record, but he was also one of the most creative players in the club's modern history, and a world-class operator in any position across the midfield or forward lines.
BRUNO FERNANDES (2020-)
As the only player in this list who did not play under Sir Alex Ferguson, Bruno's contribution to United need some context. There's no doubt that Fernandes has not enjoyed the same stability around him, in terms of managers, players and colleagues, and results have been more difficult to come by than in the club's golden era.
That makes it even harder to perform at peak levels week after week, month after month, year after year. But that's what our Portuguese captain has managed.
The numbers state it clearly: since he joined United in 2020, no other Premier League player has created more chances – not even those player for title-winning teams. Fernandes takes penalties, scores free-kicks, can play all across midfield and even as a so-called 'false' striker. But it's the stunning variety of his assists that United fans will remember most.
His remarkable dummy and cross for Benjamin Sesko's injury-time winner against Fulham in February perfectly illustrated the man and the player: next-level intellect and huge bravery in the big moments.
Congratulations on reaching 200, Bruno! After another goal and assist on Sunday, let's hope there's much more to come.
This feature was taken from the most recent edition of United Review, on sale here.