Fernandes's fans' Q&A - part two

In an interview that first featured in Inside United, the club's official magazine, our 2020/21 top goalscorer was happy to provide detailed answers about a wide variety of topics, including his favourite film and TV shows, the three qualities every Red needs and what sort of fan he would be.

So set some time aside and learn more about our Portuguese hero...

Kennedy (Ghana): Why did you celebrate by pushing Fred at Tottenham?
"So because Fred normally never scores so, when he scores, we have to do something different. It will be the next goal in one year because I think the last one he scored, against Brugge, was almost one year ago, maybe more, so we have to make something to remember the goal."

Max (UK): Are you going to do the magician celebration again (the one at Leicester)?
"The one in Leicester City was something I do for Juan because I talked with Juan before the game. I told him as every time we have a game, or something, he comes to me and says: ‘Give me some joy, make me enjoy the game.’ And so, in that game, I said to him before, I will score a goal for you and we have to find some way to celebrate to you. And because for us, and everyone knows, he is our magician, Juan, that was the signal for him."

Abhrait (India): What is your daily routine and do you have any special routines or superstitions on matchday?
"Many superstitions! [laughs] My daily routine is wake up in the morning and come to the training ground. I have breakfast, I make some eggs and sauce in the gym before training, go out to training, come inside and, if I have to do some extra with the physio or with the coach, I do it. After that, I go home and I always like to have a nap in the afternoon. The rest of the day is spending it playing with my kids."

Myles (South Africa): What are the meanings behind your tattoos?
"So Myles, every tattoo that I have means something for me. I don’t have many but also I didn’t have time in this whole year to make it because there was the COVID as everyone knows but every tattoo means something to me. I won’t explain every tattoo I have and what it means but normally family stuff."

Resul (USA): What was your favourite TV show as a child?
"Resul, I don’t know. My favourite TV show was football [laughs]. Honestly, I like The Voice, I like [Britain's] Got Talent. I like that kind of TV show where kids or people can show their qualities and can show the world what they are capable to do. I think everyone deserves a chance to show they can be someone and do what they dream of."

Ntwali (Rwanda): What is your favourite movie?
"The first one and the one [for me] is The Lion King. The original one for kids. That is the one. And the other one I really liked to watch was 2012. It was a whole film that retracts the end of the world, as people said at that time the world will end in that year, and that’s a film I really like."

Mau (Kazakhstan): Can you name three qualities that are needed in a Manchester United footballer?
"So Mau, when you play for a club like this, you need more than three qualities. But, for me, it’s desire, focus and resilience. I think it is like that."

Anbesa (Sweden): Your desire and commitment shows in every game and it's unmatched in my opinion. Where do you get that from?
"Hi Anbesa, so that comes from my childhood. For me, the desire to win the games and to win something is always on me and I think it’s part of me. I don’t know where this comes from but, in my family, nobody likes to lose. I think I grew up seeing my cousins, my brother, my uncles, my dad fighting to win, when we played cards or chess or football, when we played everything. I think my mentality comes a little bit from my family. There were a lot of fights over Christmas when we have to play card games or bingo or something different. The fighting is always on!"

John (India): There is no doubt about the influence you’ve had on the team morale. The impact that you have brought upon the team is obvious from the start of your journey here. But everyone has a bad day and who motivates you and the team on your off day?
"So now, John, honestly it is easy to be motivated now. When I have a bad day, when I get home, I have two beautiful kids to see. Before, if I went home after a bad day, I would not talk with anyone. I’d just close my mouth and close my eyes. My wife already knew it. But now, when I come home, I have two beautiful kids who need me. I have the big one, my daughter, who runs to me every time she sees me. She doesn’t see me a lot of times now because we have a lot of games but every time she sees me, she runs to me and makes something for me. Every time I arrive at home, I have something new from her. That is the mood or the way I have to come out of a bad day. Of course, I think my family has to be part of my success but I think the biggest part of my success is them."

Dr Mayank (India): Are you the most competitive person in the United squad and who else comes close to you?
"So, Dr Mayank, I don’t know if I’m the most competitive but I think no-one is more than me. They can be at the same level but not more than me. Always in my mind, you can have the same as me but you can’t have more than me. For example, desire, a winning mentality and hard work,  I think you have to have in your mind to be the best you can. And nobody in those kind of situations but, on quality, you can have people have more quality than you because everyone is different. Everyone has different qualities but, on the mentality, you have to put your level high and I think the only thing people can reach is the same level as you. Not more than you."

Jake (UK): Have you ever watched a match that really inspired you?
"So, Jake, there are a lot of matches I think, if you watch, in the world of football, the final of the Champions League, of the Euros or the World Cups, it’s difficult to choose one. But I think, for me, as a Portuguese, the final of the 2016 Euros is an inspiration for every kid. At that moment, I was not a kid anymore but the inspiration for every Portuguese player, for example, because we’d never won anything in the national team. We arrived at that moment against every chance to win that Euros so, for me, as a Portuguese, I’m really proud of that and it’s one of the games I remember more. And, of course, I think personally, the cup I won with Sporting means a lot for me. What we went through the year before, with everything that happened with us, the problems we had in the club, we lost that final because I think also because of a lot of those problems. One year later, with all those problems still there, the fight we have honestly for the team and the inspiration we had in that season, that game marks the best season of my career because of everything we passed as a team in that whole year."

Jassan (UK): Have you had the chance to speak with Sir Alex Ferguson? If so, what did he say to you?
"So, Jassan, that is one of my biggest regrets in the club until now because I met him already but never had the chance to speak with him like I would like to do. For me, growing up and seeing the club, being a fan of the club and seeing the development of the team, if you watched in the past I think everyone who watched Manchester United remembers Sir Alex. I would like to have a conversation with him and understand, from his point of view, what he thinks about me and what I can improve or still improve in my game to be better."

Dylan (Ireland): If you could steal one quality from another team-mate, what would you pick?
"Dylan, I don’t know honestly as we have so many qualities in the team. I think I’m not the slowest player in the world but if I would have the pace of Rashy, honestly, I was Ballon d’Or already. With the pace he has, oh my God, he’s unbelievable. It’s incredible the way he is and, when I talk about pace, it’s about running with the ball and without the ball, and, at the same time, the pace in his feet. The quality he has, the moves he has and the agility he has to come away from difficult situations. It’s unbelievable."

Yuvraj (India): Will you be able to win the Ballon d'Or one day and who do you think will win it this year?
"So Yuvraj, I honestly don’t look a lot for the Ballon d’Or. I think to arrive at that point, to be a Ballon d’Or player, you need to do much, much more and, for me, football is more than individual trophies. And I’m not saying I don’t want to be a Ballon d’Or [winner], everyone wants to be a Ballon d’Or [winner]. Since you grow up from the time you finish your career, you want to be [it] but, honestly, for me, I’m now focused on getting trophies for the team. I think football is about that. Of course, the individual trophies are important for every player, for the  confidence and everything. For this season, honestly it’s difficult to choose because, for me, at the time you have Messi and Ronaldo still playing, you have to put them on a rung and nobody I think is still close to those two. I think, for the future, we’re seeing a lot of players coming out but being able to do that for 15 years will be difficult, I think, like Cristiano and Messi did it."

Chimwemwe Linda (Malawi): Who is the most fashionable player in the dressing room? Who has the best drip?
"Oh, so that one is difficult, honestly, because we have different swags in the team. Some ones are good but I would say every swag is good but everyone has his own way to dress. I’m not that kind of person to say, oh he’s not dressing well, or that kind of one is better than the other one, because everyone has their own fashion. Of course, if we look in the dressing room, we have Paul who has that fashion, he likes that different fashion, more the American style, you can say. Juan, for example, and Nema are classic ones; Edi Cavani too. The classic fashion, all-time classic, all clean, all perfect, connecting everything. After, you have, I don’t know, but Alex Telles likes to dress different, also some different stuff, you see his haircut has always to be perfect. Fred is out of this list, for sure, he can’t be in any list, but I think those ones who care more with what people say or will say about their fashion."

Blaise (Nigeria): Who is the best non-United player in the Premier League?
"Honestly, Blaise, in the Premier League, you have a lot of good players. I think it’s difficult to choose one. For me, being the best player in the Premier League, you have to be the best from since we started to the end and not coming and start playing in December or January and start doing well in that moment. The ones who were doing well before everyone forgets because those are doing better at this moment. I think to be the best player, you have to be consistent, try to be the best that you can for the longest time you can. Honestly, it’s difficult to choose one player to be the best. Of course, we all know the qualities that our rivals have. I think we can say this season, for me, as everyone knows Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best for me. If we go to the Liverpool squad, for example, I think Salah, if you say he’s playing well or not, he’s still scoring goals. Harry Kane is still doing really well in the Tottenham team, for example. I think Raphinha of Leeds is doing very well. It’s difficult to choose one. Gundogan, from the half of the season from December, started doing really well. If you see Jesse, I think Jesse, at the moment, if you watch the last 10 games, has been top, top, top level. For me, if you watch the last 10 games, he’s been the best player in the Premier League, scoring and assists in every game. Everyone here is really, really happy for him. He has confidence back, he has his swag back, because he is feeling confident. We are really, really happy for what he’s doing. As I’ve said, we have many players I can say now and it’s difficult to choose just one. For example, Ruben Dias has come from Benfica and been consistent since he arrived. In our team, we also have players who have been consistent for all the season and I can’t remember more players at the moment. For example, I really like Mason Mount – he’s been consistent from the beginning of the season but, if people will watch numbers he’s not had so many goals as other players or assists as other players but, for me, as a performance he’s been really, really top. Grealish, before his injuries, was being really, really good. I think Bamford from Leeds is also scoring a lot of goals, 14 I think this season already, which is really good. I think it’s difficult to choose one. I will be here for a lot of time doing names, names, names. It’s better I stop or I will forget players and I don’t want to do that."

Henning (Norway): What kind of a fan would you be – one who shouts and screams and jumps up and down, or more of a one who watches football calmly?
"I was, in the past, a fan and I’m more like a singer fan. I like to support the team, be there, jumping all the time. I sing for the players and sing for the team. I try to push them to do better and better. I’m that kind of ultra, you can say, who likes to be at the back of the goal and support the team, singing and being there to give the best support we can."

Revisit the first part of our Bruno Fernandes fans' Q&A.