Fernandes the centre of attention - but what next for Man Utd captain?

On a historic night at Croke Park, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes became the centre of attention during their pre-season game against Leeds. As one of five substitutes selected by head coach Michael Carrick, Fernandes received one of the biggest cheers of the evening, even though his name was called late in the game. His performance on the pitch was nothing short of heroic, as he nearly secured a goal for United but had an effort ruled offside.

The hero worship reached a fever pitch as fans rushed onto the pitch to take selfies with the player. However, the match was halted without injury time due to the chaos, and went straight to penalties. Unfortunately, Fernandes missed his chance to score, despite Noussair Mazraoui later scoring to secure a 5-4 victory for Leeds. The result, however, was deemed irrelevant compared to the preparations for the upcoming new season.

Fernandes' hero status among United fans is well-established, particularly after his contributions last season, which included nine goals and 21 assists, securing a third-place finish in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League. Despite previous speculation about his future, Fernandes has shown a strong preference to stay at United, with his contract set to enter its final year and an option to extend by a further season.

While United may be hesitant to lose the former Sporting Lisbon player, who has shown a strong partnership with new arrival Youri Tielemans, they face a potential wage bill issue as Marcus Rashford, their highest earner, is set to return to the club.