Michael Carrick makes big statement on Bruno Fernandes' future after Man Utd captain's historic season

The newly appointed United permanent boss has dismissed any lingering doubts regarding the future of Fernandes. The 31-year-old was the subject of heavy interest from the Saudi Pro League last year but opted to stay and lead the club through a rollercoaster transitional season.

Speaking after the convincing 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium, Carrick was full of praise for his talisman. “He’s such an influence for us and he’s been the captain and led by example in different ways,” the manager said. When asked if he expected Fernandes to stay, Carrick added: “I’ve got no reason to think otherwise. We’ve loved what he’s done and he loves being here, I think you can see that.”

The Portugal international marked his final game of the campaign by breaking the Premier League assists record outright. By setting up Patrick Dorgu's opening goal, he reached 21 assists for the season, eclipsing the previous mark of 20 shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Carrick highlighted the midfielder's relentless attitude as a key factor in his success and importance to the squad. “He wanted to stay on the pitch, he wants to stay on every single game because he’s enjoying his football, which is fantastic,” Carrick explained. The win over Brighton saw Fernandes also find the net, rounding off a performance that cemented his status as the Premier League Player of the Season.

The victory on the south coast came at a time of renewed stability for the club, occurring just two days after Carrick himself signed a two-year contract as a permanent head coach. Having secured 12 wins from 17 league matches since succeeding Ruben Amorim, the former United midfielder believes the club is finally back on the right track heading into the summer window.

“I’m delighted I’m here for longer and we need to keep progressing,” Carrick said of his new deal. “There’s work to do. You’ve got to keep improving, we want to be a little bit better but it’s so, so encouraging doing it from this place. That’s what gives me the encouragement and excitement moving forward that we’ve got a real strong foundation now to try and build on.”

While United celebrated a third-place finish, Brighton were left to reflect on a disappointing final day that saw them drop to eighth in the table. Despite the loss, Brighton qualified for the Conference League, and head coach Fabian Hurzeler maintained that the season was a success for the Seagulls, who have now secured back-to-back top-eight finishes for the first time in their history.

Refusing to let a poor final-day showing overshadow a historic campaign, Hurzeler chose to focus on the bigger picture. “On the one side, it was the worst timing for that kind of performance; on the other side, when you reflect on the overall season, it’s definitely an achievement,” he said. “It’s another milestone in the history of this club, it’s another great individual achievement from the players. We should be proud of the overall season.”