Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has praised the intelligence with which Bruno Fernandes plays football.
Fernandes had a starring role as Manchester United beat top-four rivals Aston Villa 3-1, with the Portuguese captain providing two assists to bring his season total to 16.
This season, he has made twice as many assists as the next most prolific provider, Rayan Cherki, who has eight.
It puts him close to the record 20 assists made in the 2002-2023 season by Henry – who is an admirer of Fernandes.
"He doesn't play football," Henry said on Sky Sports Monday Night Football. "He thinks it."
Henry highlighted how even when 3-1 up against Villa, Fernandes demanded high standards from his team-mate Amad Diallo, who didn't play the ball when he started his run.
"Even when he wins, he demands excellence from himself and his team-mates," Henry said. "That's a real leader.
"My name for him now is Brain-o Fernandes. This guy thinks.
"I always liked him. What he's been doing at Man Utd in some difficult moments for the team is outstanding.
The quality of Fernandes' performance this season – his seventh at Old Trafford – has prompted debate over whether the midfielder can be considered among the club's legends when he hasn't won a major trophy in that time.
Henry pointed out the value of loyalty.
"He might not have started in the [early noughties] Man Utd team," Henry conceded.
"But if you arrive in that team with Van Nistlerooy finishing or Yorke or Cole or Rooney – you would think that what he is creating would have been finished, not having to go 'again' to the people he's playing with now."
"But you have to give him a lot of credit. He could have walked away.
"He stayed, he's fighting every single time. I love him."
