Online Reporter
ROY KEANE and Bruno Fernandes have not been afraid of hiding their feelings towards each other.
The two have a lot in common, with Fernandes following in Keane’s footsteps as a midfielder and captain at Manchester United.
Despite their similarities, the two have not seen eye-to-eye in recent times at Old Trafford.
Their most recent bust-up came over the bank holiday weekend, with Fernandes labelling Keane a liar. He had hit back at the Irishman for claiming that he always prioritised personal glory over the team.
He said: “What I don’t like is when people lie about things, and in this case, what Roy Keane said is a lie. Either he saw some other interview, or he can’t say that I said one thing that I’ve just not said. Luckily for me, everything is on record.”
It came after he set the new Premier League assist record, making it 21 for the 2025-26 season against Brighton on the final day.
Fernandes’ efforts throughout the campaign have helped United return to the Champions League with a 3rd placed finish.
Despite their similarities, the two have not seen eye-to-eye in recent times at Old Trafford.
Their most recent bust-up came over the bank holiday weekend, with Fernandes labelling Keane a liar. He had hit back at the Irishman for claiming that he always prioritised personal glory over the team. He said: “What I don’t like is when people lie about things, and in this case, what Roy Keane said is a lie.
“Either he saw some other interview, or he can’t say that I said one thing that I’ve just not said.
“Luckily for me, everything is on record.”
It came after he set the new Premier League assist record, making it 21 for the 2025-26 season against Brighton on the final day.
Fernandes’ efforts throughout the campaign have helped United return to the Champions League with a 3rd placed finish.
Keane, 54, hit back on social media as he posted a picture of a donkey in the spotlight on a stage with two lions lurking in the background.
He captioned it: “Too much attention makes a donkey think he’s a lion.”
The spat started when Keane said on The Overlap earlier this month: “After the game he [Fernandes] got interviewed and the captain of Manchester United said: ‘A few times, I probably should have shot but I made the passes’. Wow.
“How can your mindset be not to win the match but be about an individual record?
“He won’t be winning trophies, not with that mindset of the team. They’re giving up two goals and everyone’s getting all giddy because he’s equalled the record for assists. It’s mind-boggling. It’s a circus act.”
It appears Keane had actually misinterpreted Fernandes’ comments.
Fernandes had, in fact, said: “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.”
This is just the latest public bust-up between the two Old Trafford favourites.
Keane is often the first to kick up a fuss about Fernandes due to his work as a football pundit.
He has previously insisted that he would strip the current captain of the armband.
In 2023, Keane claimed that Fernandes’ body language is “the opposite” to what he would want to see in a leader.
He said: “His whingeing, his moaning, his throwing his arms up in the air constantly, it really isn’t acceptable. He’s the opposite of what I would want in a captain.” Over a year later, Keane also slammed Fernandes for his post-match comments after a defeat to Newcastle in April 2025.
Keane claimed that the star’s explanation for the 4-1 hammering at St. James’ Park were just empty words and “soundbites”.
This came after Keane had stated that Fernandes was “not a fighter”.
He insisted that the star had plenty of talent on the pitch but that he did not have the grit to wear the United armband.
Fernandes, 31, had repeatedly refused to get dragged into a public war of words with Keane.
He has previously admitted to asking former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Keane’s phone number to discuss the “lies”.
He has insisted that Keane can “go a little bit over the top” but despite this, he still has “respect” for him. The ongoing feud between the two is set to continue with United keen to renew Fernandes’ contract. The midfielder has interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Europe due to the £57million release clause in his contract.
The clause can only be activated by clubs from outside of the Premier League.
Fernandes joined the club back in January 2026 from Sporting in a £47m transfer deal.
He has since gone on to score 107 goals and assist 108 more in his 327 outings.
Keane made 479 appearances for United during his 12-year stay at the club.
He scored 51 goals and assisted 41 more, and also won seven league titles under iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson. – Sun
