BRUNO FERNANDES watches so much football that he’s been accused of being sickeningly obsessed with it.
The Manchester United star was recently caught watching a random Polish match while waiting for a train with his team-mates.
Fernandes’ former Red Devils team-mate Juan Mata called the soon to be 31-year-old midfielder “football sick”.
According to The Telegraph, United players spotted their captain glued to a screen while they waited on platform for a train last month.
The squad soon saw that Fernandes was watching an obscure match from Poland’s Ekstraklasa while travelling to an away game.
No outfield player across Europe’s top five leagues has made more appearances (288) or played more minutes (24,474) than the Portugal midfielder since he moved to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47 million in February 2020.
But as Fernandes prepares for his 63rd and biggest game of another horror campaign, his team-mates will again look to him for all the answers in Wednesday’s all-English Europa League final against Spurs in Bilbao.
This will be Fernandes’ fifth final with United, winning just two and losing the 2021 Europa League crunch clash on penalties to Villarreal.
Manager Ruben Amorim, 40, said recently United could do with “two Brunos” to which one insider quipped: “How about 10?”.
No midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues has had more goal involvements since February 2020 than Fernandes’s 112.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne is second with 100, while Fernandes also beats the Belgian’s 430 chances created with 535.
In another dismal season, Fernandes has 17 goals across all competitions along with 14 assists.
And he equalled Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for a fourth time last week.
Amorim’s men have been a different beast in European competition, with Fernandes setting the all-time goal contribution record in Europa League history (41).
And club legend Roy Keane believes Fernandes could be the X-factor in Bilbao.
Keane, who slammed Fernandes earlier this season, told Sky Sports: “You still have to fancy United.
“Someone like Bruno can produce, the history of Manchester United still carries a little bit of weight.
“United’s history in finals compared to Spurs’. That might edge it for them, and I think Bruno can produce that bit of magic.”
Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Al-Hilal are ready to pay Fernandes a staggering £65million per season on a three-year deal.
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