Bruno Fernandes is a big fan of Manchester United Women midfielder Jess Park who, like him, wears the no.8 shirt for the Reds and is having a smashing 2025/26 season.
England international Park joined the club in the summer from crosstown rivals Manchester City, and has since registered nine goals and five assists, in an impressive debut campaign that has seen her win our Player of the Month award a team-high four times.
Ahead of a big week for United Women, which will see Marc Skinner’s team play Bayern Munich and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we sat down with men’s captain Fernandes – whose style of play has been compared to Park’s by fans on social media – to get his expert take on some of Jess’s best moments to date in our famous red jersey.
With eight goals and 16 assists of his own in the Premier League so far this term, and as a follower of our women’s team, Bruno is well-placed to provide his thoughts on his fellow no.8’s highlights, and we think his opinion is a real insight into the masterful play of another brilliantly technical and creative United player, who has an eye for goals.
Watch the full video below to see what Bruno says, while you can get tickets for United Women’s games against Bayern and Man City at the Theatre of Dreams here.
‘NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS’
Arguably Park’s best United goal to date came at home to London City Lionesses last month, an effort which won the Barclays Women’s Super League’s Goal of the Month for February.
The midfielder came in off the left flank to beat defender Jana Fernandez to Millie Tuner’s line-breaking forward pass, before driving into space at pace and picking out the far bottom corner, upon reaching the edge of the penalty area.
“It all starts with the first touch,”
says Bruno, watching Park’s equaliser in an eventual 2-1 win for United.
“She gets the control there away from the player, she gets a lot of space to then run. Then the speed to run quick like that and then to be very accurate with the shot, it’s a very good thing. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
‘THERE’S FUTSAL IN THAT GOAL!’
Fernandes then takes us through Park’s winner against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, a move that Jess helps to start with a dribble from a deeper area, before getting into the box and finishing off the attack by picking out the far top corner.
“We spoke about the number-eight shirt and she was in the middle creating and dictating the tempo,”
Fernandes explains.
“Then she follows up and she ends up in the box with the opportunity to finish. I think the finish is fantastic. I think it’s a fantastic goal, there’s a lot of futsal in that goal there!”
‘IT’S A VERY GOOD FINISH’
Bruno watches four goals in total, and another is Jess’s superb solo effort away to Aston Villa in January, another winner of the WSL’s Goal of the Month prize.
Park jinks her way into the penalty area before opening up a shooting angle with some clever footwork, that precedes a precise strike into the bottom corner.
“Obviously now she’s in a higher position to start with, and then she’s very quick with her feet and goes onto her left foot, which the defender was probably not expecting because they are trying to cover up the right side for her not to go on her right foot, the strongest one for her,”
Bruno acknowledges.
“But then she ends up being very quick, going through players and [it’s] a very good finish.”
WATCH UNITED WOMEN AT OLD TRAFFORD
Tickets to watch Jess and her United Women team-mates at Old Trafford this week are available here.
First up, the Reds host Bayern Munich in the first leg of our maiden UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday night (20:00 GMT kick-off).
Then attention returns to the Women’s Super League with a Manchester derby between the table’s current top two, as leaders and Park’s former team Man City are in town on Saturday (13:30 GMT kick-off).
If you add both games to your basket, you will save 50 per cent on Bayern tickets at checkout.