00:00:00
In the in the football career, you go through a lot ups and downs and a lot of uh difficult moments.
00:00:08
And uh let's say the ones that suffered most family, they um they see your good moments, your
00:00:20
bad moments, your good side, your bad side also, but uh they always stand by you.
00:00:26
>> Your time at Manchester United has been a bit of a roller coaster like this. And
00:00:29
so on that day when you get a big offer to leave Manchester United for a contract that was worth reportedly 200
00:00:35
million, why didn't you go? >> It's Captain Fantastic. >> Manchester United's captain Bruno
00:00:43
Fernandez has arguably become their greatest player in the post Ferguson era. There isn't a single player in the
00:00:51
Premier League who has more assists since his arrival. He's won more club player of the year awards than Ronaldo
00:00:58
and only five players have scored more than his 70 league goals. So, I'm at the
00:01:04
Manchester United training ground to ask him the questions the footballing world
00:01:08
wants to know, including recently Roy Keane criticized your mentality based on a quote he claimed you said. How do you
00:01:15
respond to that? >> He came criticizing me, killing me, saying that I'm not good enough, that
00:01:19
I'm not a good captain, that I'm not a good player for the club. It's okay. I
00:01:22
don't mind. What I don't like is when people lie about things. I even asked
00:01:26
Ole his number to have a word with him. >> Did you speak to him? >> Bruno. To understand somebody, I always
00:01:41
think you have to start with where they started and the the early context that they grew up in. And we were just
00:01:45
talking before we started recording about Porto. I'm on a journey to understand why you are the way that you
00:01:50
are because you're such an anomaly on the pitch and your your career when I track the journey of where you've come
00:01:54
from and how you continually were promoted and pushed forward at a very young age is clear to me that your early
00:02:00
context your early upbringing and whatever it was that was present at that age has shaped you in some very very
00:02:06
important way what is the sort of earliest thing I need to understand about where you came from and that
00:02:11
environment >> for me is all about family is about taking care of other people And I think
00:02:18
to succeed not just in in sports but in life, you need to be you need to be very
00:02:24
careful of of your surroundings. So I think the values of my family, the values of my of my parents were were
00:02:30
what make me the person and the player I am today. >> The older I've gotten, I'm now 33, so I
00:02:34
think I'm 2 years older than you, the more I've realized actually with time
00:02:38
what I learned from my parents and like the values that my dad in particular gave me. He never for a lot of the
00:02:44
things it's not something he ever said to me. It's like modeling what he did.
00:02:48
So seeing how he behaved. >> Yeah. >> What's that for you? >> It's it's kind of the same, you know,
00:02:53
like um my father was never a person to to show his emotions too much or tell you what to do or how to do it. Uh he
00:03:01
would just do it and you would understand by by by his behavior, by the way things that uh that was his way of
00:03:10
showing us how he has to be doing. Was never a person of like hugging, kissing and stuff. He's got now into that even
00:03:18
when I come out of games and stuff you see like I I I always get his hug. I always get the his kiss and this is
00:03:24
something that I as a kid I knew how much he loved me but uh in in this small aspects was always my mom giving this
00:03:31
kind of love. He was more uh in the way of he was showing how things have to be done how how much you have to sacrifice
00:03:40
yourself to certain things. My dad was very strong with me in term of like games.
00:03:46
>> Imagine I could come out of a game scoring two, three goals or whatsoever
00:03:50
and my parents, my dad in this case will always pick up the bad moments I had in
00:03:55
games to make me understand that wasn't that wasn't that was good but wasn't
00:04:00
great. It's always margin to improvement. You know, it's always small things. And I think I've learned such
00:04:06
from such a young age to deal with criticism that I'm now in probably in one of the biggest clubs in terms of
00:04:12
like caring criticism and attention. That doesn't hurt me. Like I don't like
00:04:16
it. Obviously, no one likes to get criticized, but it doesn't hurt me. It doesn't change the way I behave. It
00:04:22
doesn't change the way I want to do things. But from the other side, it makes me
00:04:27
understand there's still things to improve. And I listen to that and I I I I look at my game and I see if he's
00:04:34
needed of changing of improvement in my game. And and my dad was always very strong in that with me. And I see
00:04:41
nowadays the parents, you know, my dad never wanted me to be a footballer. He wanted me to become a better person, a
00:04:48
better player on or a better student. Everything I wanted I wanted to do, he just wanted to me to do it at like 100%.
00:04:56
You need you want to do this, you have to do the best you can. You can't just
00:04:59
be happy with you go to a test and let's say in Portugal was from zero to 100%.
00:05:04
And you have 98 and you'll be the most happiest person in the world. No, you
00:05:08
can be happy because that result is amazing. But you left 2% then that you still can improve. So you always showing
00:05:14
me that even if it was just a small thing or a small detail, you still have something more to do. You still still
00:05:20
have something more that you can improve or become better. And that's something
00:05:23
that has stuck with me not just in football but in life. I don't like to do things 50% 60 70 or 80. Whenever I'm
00:05:31
included in something, I want I want to go full. I want to learn as much as I can. I want to be the best version I can
00:05:38
in that aspect, whatever it is. >> I mean, it's it's really interesting
00:05:42
because I I I wonder to myself how you I think you started playing football at 5
00:05:46
years old. >> Yeah, five. >> And were you good from 5 years old? Were
00:05:51
you were you different from your peers at a young age? In such a young age, I I never think about being a footballer. I
00:05:57
just wanted to play football for life. I'm just happy playing football. I just
00:06:00
want to have this ball in my feet every time, all time. >> And you joined uh FC Infesta.
00:06:06
>> Yeah, that was my first club >> at 5 years old. I mean, I've got some
00:06:08
photos of you as as a young man here. I've got so many photos here, but you must be roughly around that age then.
00:06:16
And remarkably, I read that after one training session, they moved you into the older group and you played with
00:06:22
people two years older than you when you were four, five years old. >> Yeah, I was five playing with a seven
00:06:28
years old. >> Why did they move you into a different group? >> I went for the first session and it was
00:06:32
a football session. Five aside uh but like an indoor thing. Um >> and uh after that first session, they
00:06:39
told me that like no, you need to get on the grass. And then I think it comes just u you know I looked at the other
00:06:45
players and at the other other people that were training with me and I didn't
00:06:49
want to be better than them. I just wanted to like getting getting at them was the same at
00:06:56
getting at my brother that was five years old than me. For me it was no difference. If I have to beat him up I
00:07:01
will beat him up. You know like one v one I'm going to go past him. I have to
00:07:04
tackle I'm going to tackle him. He's going to tackle me stronger. It doesn't
00:07:07
matter. I tackle him again. And and I was I had no fear. And I think that was the thing that make me become better and
00:07:13
better because I was never the best. Like technical ability, yes, I was good. Was the best? No. Speed. Was I quick?
00:07:20
Yeah, I was quite the quick. Was this the quickest? No. I was the strongest. No. I was the tallest. No. But I had no
00:07:26
fear of anything of that. I had to sprint with someone that was quicker than me. I'm going to sprint with him
00:07:29
and I'm going to I might not beat him, but I'm going to get close to that. I
00:07:32
actually read that you were so aggressive that referees sometimes asked your coach at Infesta Sergio to sub you
00:07:40
off otherwise they'd have to send you off. >> Yeah. >> I mean that kind of correlates with what
00:07:45
you were saying there about fear. >> Yeah. >> You were aggressive. >> I was I that's what I mean. Like I had I
00:07:51
had no fear, you know, like I I wouldn't look at faces or sizes whatsoever and
00:07:56
think like oh he's bigger than me, you know, like he's going to he's going to
00:08:00
be stronger than me or whatever. I would get into any any any ball in any moment
00:08:04
in in in the game with with no fear at all. And this is probably the best times in my career between Infesta and Bu
00:08:11
Vista because this one is Infesta. This one is at Vista when I just I stayed probably a year at Infesta and Buista
00:08:18
got me straight away. There should be a button just down below here. And if it says subscribed, you're already
00:08:24
subscribed. If it says subscriber, that means you're not yet. And if you're not
00:08:28
subscribed, please could you do us a favor and hit that button? It helps the show more than you know. And according
00:08:32
to the algorithm, you're someone that watches our show, but you haven't yet
00:08:35
hit that button. Thank you so much. >> And you moved quickly um up and up and
00:08:39
up and up. And that was one of the remarkable things I noticed when I looked at you starting playing at 5
00:08:44
years old getting promoted to an older team and then quickly almost in all the clubs, you know, up I'm looking at when
00:08:50
you were 17 years old and you left Portugal and moved to Italy to join Navara. >> Yeah.
00:08:54
>> And after three months there, you were promoted to the first team. Um, and but
00:09:00
then you very quickly joined Udinazi. >> Yes. >> And at Udazi, you met a guy called
00:09:05
Franchesco. I can't pronounce his surname, but Goudellini. >> Guidelini. Yeah.
00:09:10
>> He was really, really formative in your career, wasn't he? You were what, 18, 18
00:09:13
years old. >> 18 years old. Yeah. >> Why was he such an important part of
00:09:17
your career? What did he teach you or give you at Udemy? He was the manager that probably gave me
00:09:22
the basis and the foundation to be fearless and express myself, you know, like to get my head out of so many
00:09:31
things that were going on. And as a young kid that has just made step into the area and he's like, I need to now is
00:09:40
the moment I need to show myself. But he was like, you don't you you showed me
00:09:44
that you have the qualities when you were in second division in Italy. That's
00:09:47
why we bought you. And to be honest, I was on the edge of coming to Watford on loan.
00:09:53
>> Watford. >> Yeah. Because the is the same ownersh >> and uh we're getting at the edge of the
00:09:59
transfer window. They just bought me and obviously they had a big squad with a lot of players and they were like we're
00:10:05
going to send you to Watford. You're going to you're going to be there playing for them blah blah. And I was
00:10:09
like what have I done? Like I wasn't I wasn't good enough. And then in the same
00:10:13
moment they called me to go to the auto pack my stuff cuz it was like last days this pack my stuff. I was with with my
00:10:19
girlfriend wife now and she was like uh don't worry we're going to we're going
00:10:24
to go anywhere else and you're going to you're going to succeed. And I said but
00:10:28
why can I make it here? Like what what what was that I did wrong that like the manager is like not looking at me the
00:10:34
same that is looking to other players and in my head was like have I done something wrong? I've not like showed my
00:10:41
full potential. Have I not shown that I'm good enough to be in this team? And
00:10:45
I don't know why in the middle of all this thought the sporting director called me again and says Bruno you can't
00:10:51
go anymore. The manager wants you to stay. He says he loved you. He loves your attitude. He wants you to learn
00:10:57
from him. He wants you to understand how he wants to play and everything. He says
00:11:02
you might not play much this season but he's pretty sure that you you are the
00:11:05
type of player that will succeed at this club. And then we had many conversations
00:11:09
and I think when you want a manager for young players that very quick will play and will think like oh I'm I'm the guy
00:11:19
now he's going to make you understand stay calm I got you but you're still not
00:11:24
there. And he was so good for me. He was like a father figure, you know, like but
00:11:28
not just for me. If you speak with every player that was there at that time, they
00:11:32
knew they were important for him because he always showed that. And that's why we
00:11:35
made me so much more complete in terms of understanding the moments and the process that managers have to go through
00:11:43
their heads and what they think about players that is better or whatsoever that you don't understand. Whenever a
00:11:48
manager puts you on the bench, you just think doesn't like me. He's he's doing
00:11:52
this because he makes he wants to make another one play. what but the way he did it with me and all the players that
00:11:58
were around me at that time we were so happy that their environment was very very good
00:12:02
>> as a young man when you're this age you're 18 years old what are your dreams
00:12:06
and if I'd asked you at the time what does your future look like what would you have said to me
00:12:11
>> as soon I I became a professional player I I was like I want to be on on on the
00:12:16
top clubs I want to play for for the big clubs I want to be in the Champions League I want to to play for trophies I
00:12:21
want to become the players I'm looking at I I want I want to become like them.
00:12:25
>> Did you think you could? >> Yeah, always. I've never I never doubt.
00:12:30
>> And at 22, you get a call um and you returned to Portugal and signed a 5-year
00:12:35
deal with Sporting in a deal worth reportedly 8.5 million. That next season, you scored 20 goals and added 13
00:12:42
assists, which was unheard unheard of for a player in your position. And what I read as well is that Tottenham were
00:12:49
interested in you at that time. Um, and it was it was at one point highly likely
00:12:54
that you were gonna end up moving to Tottenham. I'm very glad you didn't as a
00:12:58
Man United fan, but tell me about that. So, Tottenham call you. >> Yeah, I spoke with Tottenham and uh we
00:13:04
were very close to get an agreement done. Um, then in the last two days or one day of market, the Sporting just
00:13:12
said we we're not going to sell him. We're going to keep him because we need
00:13:15
him. And >> you wanted to go to Tottenham? >> Yes, because I wanted to play in the
00:13:19
Premier League. >> Why? because for me is the best league in the world. He's the most competitive one.
00:13:24
He's the one that I think when you grow up you dream to play for you know like
00:13:28
full stadiums, top clubs, top players. Obviously I was I was lucky enough that my dream club to
00:13:36
play in England was Man United and obviously Tottenham at the time was the option I
00:13:42
had and I was very very happy to join them because they showed me the process that they were going through. the
00:13:48
manager that was there at the time they also really wanted me all the new things
00:13:52
the new facilities and everything. So I was very happy with the with everything that I could see uh going forward but uh
00:13:59
it didn't happen and for bigger reasons I I guess and then in January I got I
00:14:04
got the call that uh I was I was hoping for for uh for two three years already. >> Tell me about that call
00:14:12
cuz I know Manchester United has has been you know in your eye for a long time. I mean you I know you grew up
00:14:18
watching people like Cristiano Ronaldo play for this club and I think when he I think when he first played for Portugal
00:14:23
you were you were a young guy. You were like eight eight or 10 years old or something and he had been a great star
00:14:27
of Manchester United but but I think generally people of our age group we grew up in the heyday of Manchester
00:14:33
United the Alex Ferguson era as well. So why Manchester United and can you zoom me in if I'm a fly on the wall when you
00:14:39
get that phone call from your agent I guess that Manchester United are in I can see the smile on your face.
00:14:46
I was um let's say I was in my wardrobe. I was getting getting ready to go to
00:14:51
bed. We just had to my wife was just putting uh kids to my daughter at that time. I only had my daughter uh to bed
00:14:58
and I get the call from my agent. Uh I knew things were going on and everything, but after what happened with
00:15:04
Tottenham, I didn't want to put my focus on transfer windows. And I I never did
00:15:08
it in every step of my career that I've changed club. I always said to my agent
00:15:12
whenever he's like 95% that the club really wants me and he's ready to make
00:15:17
an offer tell me and then I decide if it's like the right moment and I want to
00:15:21
go. Apart of that I'm like just keep him apart. Keep me apart. I don't want to
00:15:24
know it. I don't want like to lose the focus of what I'm doing to something
00:15:28
that I can't control. And after the Tottenham thing I was like even more because obviously I was basically done.
00:15:34
And then all of a sudden last day Sporting just says like guys oh they text to them and say like we're not
00:15:39
going to make it. So he called me and he said, "Brun, so you told me to not speak
00:15:43
to you until we had something like >> concrete." >> Concrete, but just so you know, they
00:15:50
also have agreement already everything. So it's just on your side now to say yes
00:15:55
or no. And I was like like yes or no to what? And he said, "Come on, you've seen
00:15:59
the news." I said, my agent calls me guy said, "Miguel, the news are every day
00:16:04
different. Every day they're going to put a new club that is interested in me.
00:16:07
So I'm not I'm not going to be focused on that." He said, "Okay, many night is
00:16:11
coming for you. I know I know this is like what you want. So, just so you know, this is this is the one that
00:16:16
you've been waiting for. So, it's on you now to make a decision." And then, uh,
00:16:21
for like 10 20 seconds, I didn't I didn't said anything. I was I was crying, but I didn't want to talk
00:16:27
because, you know, like your voice starts going a little bit chalky. And then all of a sudden, my my wife gets
00:16:33
into the wardrobe and he says, "I'm still on the call." And she goes like,
00:16:36
"Why are you crying?" and like him on the phone say are you crying? I was like
00:16:42
just I turned that off and I was like Miguel just called me and then in the moment I'm trying to explain to my wife
00:16:47
what's going on. He's calling me like repetitively like I need an answer and I
00:16:52
was like and my wife was like why are you crying so like this is like what you have dreamed for. like this is this is
00:16:57
the moment you you're waiting for and I was like oh I don't know it's it's just
00:17:02
too much like I I' I've never expected after everything that happened with
00:17:06
Tottenham I would have got the chance to come to the Premier League again and having the chance to come to the Premier
00:17:11
League with Man United is it's it's like 100% of the dream complete. So obviously
00:17:18
then like uh I just I just call him back and I said like I don't even want to
00:17:22
know anything else. Just tell them I'm going. Obviously, I was very good at sporting and I was very
00:17:28
happy there because I I really enjoyed my time at sporting because was when I became
00:17:34
probably the best version of of myself as a player where I improved so much in that two years and a half but then was
00:17:40
like the dream of playing for the Premier League and I think from every sporting fund they really understood
00:17:46
that was was ready for me to to go and do the next step. And when you join, man, I mean, here's the famous photo of
00:17:55
you signing with Manchester United. >> Yeah, >> it's funny the the smile that you still
00:18:01
have on your face when you look at these pictures. >> Same. Yeah, it's uh because I think when
00:18:05
when you look back, as I said, like this is the day your dream comes true. So it's uh it's probably professional
00:18:15
wise I think I put this one and sporting together because of the importance that
00:18:21
sporting had in my career but obviously this this was the cherry on on top of the cake because this is where I wanted
00:18:29
to be. and you joined the club at a time when the club was in a bit of uh turmoil, struggling. You know, Sir Alex
00:18:35
Ferguson has left. Um we've cycled through a bunch of managers and we've
00:18:39
got um Olegosar as the manager at that point. I think the club was seventh in the Premier League when you joined. Um
00:18:46
and it was going through a time of turbulence. You knew that Manchester United wasn't the most stable club in
00:18:50
the world, but you chose to come here anyway. And based on your rec record at sporting, you would have had a lot of
00:18:56
other opportunities to join a club that was more stable. That was, you know, and
00:19:01
it's interesting because clubs can have a big impact on a player's future.
00:19:05
Players can have a big impact on a club, but it also goes the the other way. And
00:19:08
as someone that runs businesses, you know, the environment you join has a huge impact on everyone's behavior. No,
00:19:14
no, irrespective of how hard you try. You chose to join a club that was at the time unstable.
00:19:22
Look, the the game I looked before I came here was I think Burnley, United Burnley and United loses at home 2-1. I
00:19:32
don't remember exactly but I know I know they've lost that game and it was just
00:19:36
like days before I came and I was like I I still think there is there's a lot
00:19:42
of potential in that team and a part of having potential that team. I'm joining
00:19:47
one of the biggest clubs in the world and I know that clubs go through periods where things don't go the way they want
00:19:54
but sometimes it's not just because they're not great. It's just because
00:19:58
other teams are being better than them. And that's that's fine because in
00:20:01
football you're not going to win all the time. But the thing you can do is like
00:20:05
you can bring your own values, your own experience, your own qualities and trying to help everyone else around you
00:20:12
to become better to become the team you want to see. And I think at that time that period of then we had the co time
00:20:21
and all the stuff but that period from there to the end of the season the team was unbelievable. and the season after
00:20:27
we got second place and because we struggled in certain moments of keeping keeping up to to the standard of city
00:20:33
that had a very good end of season but for me was like I wasn't like I I'll fix
00:20:40
that. I was like I'm going to be the the magic magic powder that's going to solve
00:20:45
all the problems. But I really knew that this club had something special and for
00:20:50
me to join it was was like I can be part of something that is going to become great again and I still believe that and
00:20:57
obviously it can take time it's taking more time than I thought. Yes, of course. But at that time I had too many
00:21:03
dreams in my head and uh they still are here and still a lot of things that I want to achieve. But this smile and this
00:21:11
guy that came here in 2020 is is is still is still is still the same guy that wants to to win and succeed at this
00:21:17
club. I'm wondering, you know, because there's been so much said about the
00:21:20
environment at Manchester United over the years. I I know a little bit about the environment when Sir Alex Ferguson
00:21:25
was here because I interviewed a lot of his players and having been to Carrington before and uh actually going
00:21:31
to the grounds and actually sitting in the hospitality lounge and waitresses coming over to me and talking about when
00:21:35
Sir Alex Ferguson was here and how he knew everyone's name and then how it changed. I it was really interesting to
00:21:42
me to get a lot of this feedback because it highlighted how small things in culture can have a big impact right down
00:21:50
to the the way players play. And there's always a story that Gary Neville told me
00:21:53
about with Wendy and her charity balls. He told me a story of players walking past Wendy who got the charity ball
00:21:58
signed for a local charity and one day a couple of them didn't sign it and Sir
00:22:03
Alex Ferguson came downstairs and he quote [ __ ] killed us. And it's it's a
00:22:08
strange thing to do like to care that much about a small detail in culture, but over time Gary told me he he
00:22:14
understands why Sir Alex Ferguson cared so much. So my question to you is really
00:22:18
about the cultural evolution at this club and what the fans are desperate to know about like how it's changed and how
00:22:23
it feels different from the time you arrived in 2018 up until today. I've brought in my behavior, my the way I've
00:22:33
been raised and all these things. And I think every different player has brought
00:22:37
different things to the to the club. But I think one of the things that has to be
00:22:41
always there is the respect for people. And I think that says for me is a non-negotiable thing. Like if any player
00:22:49
comes to this club and he doesn't respect the physios, the pe the stewards, the people that are in all the
00:22:56
desks we have here, the people that work for us in the restaurant, the chefs and
00:23:00
all these people that are around us taking care of us. Even if you don't see
00:23:04
it or if you don't think it or whatever is for me is a non-negotiable thing that
00:23:10
the respect has to be always there. And more than respect, the care you need to care about them because if you have a
00:23:17
good foundation, a good base of respect and and care in in your club, it's going
00:23:21
to get better. The environment gets better. Everything is more positive because I think and and this is probably
00:23:27
the way I've been raised. I treat everyone in the same way. I don't treat
00:23:31
the players in a way that I don't treat the clean lady or the people that are in
00:23:36
the front desk or the people that the stewards and at the entrance. You know, if I say good morning to these ones, I
00:23:41
say good morning to this ones. I don't change that. If I give an shake to this
00:23:44
ones, I give an shake to this one. If I greet them as I'm greeting my teammates,
00:23:48
they will feel part of it. They will feel involved. They will feel as important as them. Even knowing that the
00:23:54
role of them is completely different of the other ones because the the role of a
00:23:58
CEO is one thing. But if the cleaner doesn't clean everything nice and leaves
00:24:03
everything prepared and well well done and everything, you will notice that something is wrong. You will notice that
00:24:08
this is not the place where you want to work for. You do you notice that you don't want to be the CEO of a company
00:24:13
that has trash everywhere. >> Yeah. >> And so why wouldn't you greet the person
00:24:19
that takes care of you, takes care of your place to look so good and to make an impact when people come in from the
00:24:24
outside? >> It reminds me of something actually Johnny IV said. So Johnny IV is the
00:24:28
famous Apple designer that designed all the Apple products that we know and love. And he said um it's very hard to
00:24:34
feel care. He goes but everyone can feel when someone didn't care. You go to a
00:24:38
restaurant and they didn't care. Small things. He goes but it's like he said um
00:24:42
care is just this thing in the background this ambient feeling you have when you arrive somewhere but you can't
00:24:48
you can't like point out exactly what it is but you can feel it. >> That's the thing. I think it's more that
00:24:54
you feel it but you don't see it. And I think touching this point I was I was
00:24:58
talking about cleaners. My mom was a she was cleaning houses for work. So I never
00:25:04
wanted the people that were cleaning the house to treat my mom badly or let's say
00:25:09
downgrade the work she's doing for them because for example now I have a person
00:25:13
that works in my house. I don't allow my kids to talk badly to her. I don't allow
00:25:18
my kids to say grab that and put it in place. And I said it to her in the first day she came to work and I said if
00:25:24
something is not in the in the right place obviously I want you to clean. I want you to put things in place. I want
00:25:30
all of this. But I don't want my kids to tell you oh that uh arrange that or put
00:25:36
this in place. No. If they want something they can ask you but first of all they need to be respectful. If they
00:25:42
can't make it they have to ask you but in the respect way. But if it's something that they can make you have to
00:25:48
make them make it. Not like, oh, you do it. No, just explain them how to do it. Show them the way so they learn with it.
00:25:56
And this probably the way I behave with the people that work with me. It comes a
00:26:00
lot because of my background of not like it to see my mom because I was not in the houses. Obviously, I don't know if
00:26:06
they treated well or not. My mom never said to me that any of the people that she work for were bad bad to her or
00:26:13
treat her in a in a bad way. So I really think that that made me understand that
00:26:18
because I I don't want that for my mom, I won't make that to other people.
00:26:23
>> I've been a Man United fan since I was a kid. So like my siblings were born in
00:26:26
Manchester. I was saying to you before I was born in um in Botswana in Africa, but because I've got two older brothers
00:26:31
who are Man United fans, I very quickly became a Manchester United fan. I remember like 3 four years old and then
00:26:36
as soon as I could when I was 18, I moved up from the southwest to Manchester at 18 years old and I lived
00:26:41
here and went to my first Manchester United games. I've seen the club go on this incredible journey um from you know
00:26:48
Sorax Ferguson's era to this sort of period of transition to where we are now
00:26:51
and it's my observation my honest observation that after in the post Fergie era the club made some bad
00:26:59
decisions as it relates to recruitment and culture. Um people often talk about um Edwards I'm not going to I'm not
00:27:05
going to try and stitch you up in any way or get you to talk about anything in particular. I'm just expressing my
00:27:08
opinion. They talk about Ed Woodward's uh strategy towards signing players and
00:27:12
it being a bit flippant and then you look at the sort of group of lads that we had and just as a United fan watching
00:27:17
on the pitch, I felt the culture was a bit confused because it didn't seem like
00:27:23
it seems now where it seems like there's this really strong central agreement
00:27:27
around the values. It felt a bit I don't know a bit like we had signed players
00:27:33
because they were famous or big but not because they fit. And I feel when I look
00:27:38
at the club now, I go, "Oh, these guys kind of fit." And whoever's doing
00:27:41
recruiting is thinking about character. It feels to me like there's been this
00:27:47
process over the last couple of years of getting rid of the wrong character profiles. And I think Amaran really
00:27:52
spoke to this. He really talked about getting rid of the players that didn't
00:27:56
have the right character profile. Just to add one more line to this. I've spoken to a lot of players at the club
00:28:00
in past and present and they expressed the same to me as well that there was an issue with sort of character profile
00:28:06
that has now been solved for. I think the main mistake that the club has done through the years that we've changed
00:28:14
manager to manager, they were very different and that's already a bad sign not of recruitment because then you
00:28:22
bring in players that fit that manager. Mhm. >> But the next one you brought plays a
00:28:27
completely different way and the three or four or five that you bought don't
00:28:31
fit this one anymore. And then you have to buy another four or five >> and then the constantly change of
00:28:38
strategy in in in the club or in the way we wanted to play or whatsoever was not
00:28:43
was not the best because then obviously it becomes that the players don't suit
00:28:48
anymore. The system is not even more the character than it comes up but it's more
00:28:51
the system. Then obviously we can talk about character that players that were certain players that were not a perfect
00:28:58
fit for the club but you never know it until you bring it to the club. I think sometimes you can see it and I think is
00:29:03
there players that I think the club by the behavior they have on the pitch or the behavior they have on on social
00:29:08
media whatsoever you can see if they will be a fit for the club or not. And I think the main thing for the club as you
00:29:14
said there you need to bring good characters because that will be more important to build something that good
00:29:20
qualities because good qualities they all they will have. You don't bring a player to Man United that doesn't have
00:29:25
qualities. But if you can add the qualities to the character, that's a win-win because the qualities will be
00:29:31
moment that the quality won't be as good as you want because players go through
00:29:36
periods that sometimes they play very good, sometimes they play very bad, but the character remains the same. And
00:29:42
that's the character you want where they are on a low to be the right character
00:29:46
to push himself to be on a high or at the same time when they are on the low to be the right character to push the
00:29:51
other ones to be at at the top level. And I think that's the main thing that
00:29:56
the club has to do in terms of recruitment and everything is bringing people first of all that want to be a
00:30:01
Man United to play for Man United, not to be a Man United just because it's a
00:30:05
big club. They want to be here because this is the club they think and they really understand that they want to
00:30:11
succeed with this club. They want to bring this club back to the days we were used to see Man United. I know it's been
00:30:17
12, 13 years. I know, but we want that to get as short as possible to become that club that won 20 Premier League
00:30:24
titles and is joined the most in the Premier League. >> Mhm. >> So character in a football club is more
00:30:30
important than the quality because the quality you always going to get it and you can improve it. This is what I heard
00:30:35
from Patrice Ever. I remember him telling me that he met Sir Alex Ferguson in in an airport, I think in France, and
00:30:41
Sir Alex Ferguson sat him down and said, "Are you willing to die for Manchester
00:30:44
United?" And he said, "Yes." And so he shook his hand. He said, "Welcome to
00:30:48
Manchester United." And that's a different way of recruiting. He's not
00:30:51
testing if he can kick a ball well. He's testing if he's got the heart and that
00:30:54
mentality that I think Fergie and previous sort of cohorts of Manchester United really really cared about. I
00:31:02
think Sir Alex obviously he's done mistakes in recruitment too because obviously not every player was great but
00:31:08
he always brings players in any time and any moment they would fit the club and that's the main thing I think in terms
00:31:14
of recruitment but this is like something that is not for me to get involved but I will say it I understand
00:31:20
the club has different manager coming in comes in and different ways of playing and whatsoever but the recruitment has
00:31:26
to be for many United because the player will get normally a 5 years contract and
00:31:31
the manager will get two and you know that if he's not something is not working the club always gets rid of the
00:31:36
manager first then he gets rid of the player because it's much more difficult.
00:31:40
So I think you always have to bring players that fit the club and then you bring managers that fit the club and the
00:31:47
players you've got >> and I think that says to be the the the thing that for example let's talk about
00:31:53
club and pep why they were so successful because they chose the players in togetherness with the club that will fit
00:32:00
the club the system and the way they wanted to play >> and through the years have done mistakes
00:32:06
of course have they bought players that didn't work yes but I think we're more
00:32:09
the ones that worked than the ones that didn't. And the ones that didn't work, I
00:32:14
haven't seen many of them coming out and talking bad about the club or about the
00:32:17
manager whatsoever. Yeah, it's difficult to be there and a club buy you for 50,
00:32:21
60, 70 million and then you don't play when you thought, oh, oh, I'm going to
00:32:25
play because they paying this amount of money for me. I'm going to play. Then
00:32:27
you get there, you don't play. Of course, it's difficult. But what I've
00:32:30
seen is that they built in a way that the squad was strong enough to take care of those players that were not playing
00:32:37
and were struggling. One of the things I've noticed as a change, especially this season, is all this social media
00:32:44
distraction. People posting on their Instagram stories when they don't play their brother's sister posting my
00:32:49
brother should be playing whatever. All of this sort of like social media stuff that some players were doing over
00:32:56
the last couple of years seems to have vanished. And this is just an interesting, you know, we talk about
00:33:01
small things being interesting signals. It's one of the things I've noticed this
00:33:04
year there isn't social media nonsense going on. How like I guess my question
00:33:12
is is that something the club has done? Has there been have they sat you down and said stop the social media stuff or
00:33:17
is it just a consequence of getting the right people together? I think it's a little bit both, but at
00:33:22
the same time, I think the club has to be the one being strong with the players. When they see something that is
00:33:27
not right or they don't like it or it's not good on the players, on on the team,
00:33:31
on the attention this club gets. I think the the club needs to talk with them and
00:33:37
with the agents with the families whatsoever that speaks out and says something because I think it's also on
00:33:43
the players to make the families and u everyone that is behind them understand that what they put out or what they say
00:33:51
can have consequences on our careers. >> Do you do you talk to the players about
00:33:55
this? I've if if I see something that I don't like or if I see them posting or
00:33:59
replying to some people on social whatsoever because for example from such a young age I've said to my parents I've
00:34:05
said to my brother I've said to my sister I don't want you talking without
00:34:08
my like without me knowing it not because they don't know how to talk or whatever but they not aware what can be
00:34:15
bad or wrong they they might think they will going to say something that is going to be good for me but maybe has
00:34:22
repercussions on other people and I don't want them to do that So my parents
00:34:26
never spoke, my brother never spoke, my sister never spoke when I wasn't playing. Let people make noise, let
00:34:31
people talk. Doesn't matter what they say. I know for my mom, for example, she
00:34:35
suffers a lot with this. And I say, "Take it in. Don't care. Pray pray at
00:34:41
your saints like you did to me all the time and and make sure they do the right thing for me because that's that's what
00:34:47
matters." And she she kind kind of like gets okay with that. Obviously I know
00:34:51
that probably when my brother sees something or my sister they want to reply to something they want to say it's
00:34:56
not true why why you talking about this or my my brother whatever I don't want
00:35:00
them to get involved in that because not going to be good for them >> not going to be good for me and it's not
00:35:04
going to be good for my environment then I don't want that but I think that is
00:35:07
because I was strong with my family in the in the first moment and I think that's who we have to be I don't go home
00:35:13
to my family and saying like you know this manager this this manager that I might say what I like or I don't like
00:35:20
whatever but I don't go in a way of like, oh, if I had someone that could put something out because I've been
00:35:26
doing this, I I don't care like to people to put out, oh, Bruno is training so well, Bruno is doing this, Bruno is
00:35:32
doing that. I know I'm doing it. That's enough for me. >> And it's true because, you know, you've
00:35:38
been through this this process of transition with Ollie, then Carrick, then Raph, then Eric, then Reuben, then
00:35:44
Fletcher, then Carrick again. And actually, one of the remarkable things is I've never noticed
00:35:51
your attitude towards the managers be any different. I can't tell. I can't
00:35:56
tell. As far as I'm aware, you support them all. And that's how it should be. I
00:36:01
think if you've got a problem, I think as you know, player, you should go tell
00:36:04
them. But we shouldn't know and well, we don't know. With you, I don't know what you think of them.
00:36:10
>> I agree with that. First of all, I like every manager that comes in my way
00:36:14
because I learn with them. And every manager that comes in has their own idea, has their own thinking, has their
00:36:21
own way of playing. And they want me to do one thing, the other one another thing, the other one another thing. And
00:36:26
for me, that's good because they believe that I'm capable of doing different
00:36:30
things that I was doing before. So, what I won't give to the managers is the
00:36:36
choice or the option in their head to think I'm not going to play Bruno. What
00:36:40
do you do when you're not happy about something though as the captain? Do you
00:36:43
go have a chat with them? >> No, I do whatever they want me to do. If they think is the best thing for the
00:36:48
team, I'm going to do it. Either I agree or not, believe it more or not. I make
00:36:53
myself available for what they want to do. 100%. If then it works or not, that's on
00:37:00
them to to decide to decide that if it needs to be changed or not. I'm not going to go to the manager and ask them
00:37:07
to change formation, the way they play. If they ask me, I give my opinion. If they don't ask me, I don't say anything.
00:37:15
>> What have you learned about what a good manager does and how to be a good
00:37:18
manager from the six managers you've had? >> For me, look, through my career, I've
00:37:25
always heard that, you know, like certain players should be treated in a different way than other players. I
00:37:31
don't believe in that. It's like the same as having a business. you buy certain people to do certain things
00:37:36
because you believe they the right person to do that. So I don't think that you then should change the way you
00:37:45
behave with them. You should probably approach them in different ways. I believe in that because I'm not the same
00:37:53
as you. >> Yeah. >> So do you treat players differently on the pitch because you're you know you
00:37:57
shout at lots of your teammates. Are there some that you won't shout at as much? I treat I treat all of them the
00:38:03
same and I think they kind of getting to know exactly why I do it everything that
00:38:08
we train in imagine let's see during the week we train this and we have seen
00:38:12
images of this we know what we have to do the menace has prepared for us for that I demand that at least I don't I
00:38:21
don't care who you are we've been a full week preparing the training the game for
00:38:24
this this we need to know how to do it then if you can make a pass or you can make a goal or you can make a tackle
00:38:31
That's different. That's the qualities I need from each one individually. But
00:38:37
I've learned to talk with them in different ways, but with the same end result. Not like I
00:38:45
won't like go to one and say like being scared of saying things to him >> and the other one like because he's
00:38:51
younger whatsoever, I'm going to like shout at him whatsoever. No. If I have
00:38:54
to shout at this one, I'll shout this one. If I have to shout at this one, I'll shout this one. If I have to praise
00:38:59
this one, I'll praise this one in the same way I praise this one. And I think
00:39:02
that you can see in my interviews. I'm not afraid of saying what I feel. At the
00:39:07
same time, I'm not afraid of praising players for what they have done or what
00:39:10
they're doing. Even if they probably in the moment they haven't done as much as
00:39:16
they needed to get the praise. >> But for me, I think he needs that praise
00:39:21
to get into the next level. So, I'm going to give him something. But I make him aware. I've gave you something but
00:39:27
I'm expecting something more more from you. It's like my dad giving me like you
00:39:33
need to be better, you need to do more because he knows I'm capable of more.
00:39:37
And this is why I demand from the players. I demand I'm I'm I'm very
00:39:40
strong on them because I I really believe in them. I have said this so many times to so many different players
00:39:46
is like trust me the day I stop talking to you, the day I start shouting I stop shouting at you is because I don't
00:39:52
believe in you anymore and I don't believe you can improve anymore. your time at Manchester United has been a bit
00:39:57
of a roller coaster like this kind of like up and down and up and down. You went second and then you dropped down
00:40:01
the league you're second and uh I mean the last two years have been a prime example of that finishing near the near
00:40:05
the bottom end of the table and then this year back up to third. I'm wondering as a fan when things get bad
00:40:12
and you hear all these sort of rumors breaking online that the manager is going to be sacked. Does that impact the
00:40:18
dressing room? Like do you guys in the dressing room because you've been through it so many times where a manager
00:40:23
has been removed? Do how what's that like when you know things are going bad?
00:40:29
No, first of all, you feel it for the manager is is the first thing because I think obviously certain players will
00:40:35
feel it more than others because it's that players that play more than others
00:40:38
and they obviously the ones that probably don't play, >> they don't like to see managers going,
00:40:43
but at the same time, if a new manager comes in is a new opportunity for them to probably get into the team more times
00:40:49
they were getting before. >> And I think going through the process of changing money is probably the worst
00:40:53
thing in in in sports because it's starting from zero again. And either either people believe it or not
00:41:00
when you're through a process you want to get to the end of the process and understanding what's what that has gave
00:41:06
to you as a player and what you can do more with that staff with that team uh and with that manager to go even further
00:41:14
more. >> Why didn't you lose hope because you went through that process of starting
00:41:18
from zero making progress manager goes back to zero making progress manager goes back to zero.
00:41:24
>> You know why? Because every time I've spoke this with yoga before, every time
00:41:29
you come for preseason is like a new start and you always get that belief of like this is going to be the this is
00:41:37
going to be the time. This is going to be the time is moments through the season that you you get this belief that
00:41:42
things are not going well. But the main thing I have is belief in myself. So I always think if I do things
00:41:50
right and I take people to do things right and I help them to do things right as a team we still have a chance of
00:41:58
pushing ourself into positions we want to be and this let's say this season has
00:42:02
been that case because we strug we struggle obviously we didn't change manager because of results because we
00:42:08
were two points behind second place and like five points behind first place we were same points till I think from third
00:42:18
to seventh place was everyone with the same points something like that. So we were we wore there was something
00:42:24
different with this with the club that they felt that the the trust between them was was broke or whatsoever and
00:42:30
they kind of decided to start a new process and that was bad because for us when Reuben came what was passed from
00:42:40
the club is like this is going to be a process but we're going to go through
00:42:43
this going to be good and bad times but we're going to go through this obviously
00:42:47
then the club decided that it was time to part ways and you started from zero for from with Michael
00:42:53
but then you've got results and you went to the end of the season and you finished third
00:42:59
and you finish what doing probably in the time Michael was here till the end of the season till till now is we
00:43:05
probably the team that has made more points. >> What did Michael change? I think in in
00:43:09
the first moment what what what Michael tried to do is like to give stability to
00:43:13
the team because as every manager understands when you come in after a break, you understand that you need to
00:43:21
give stability and peace of mind to the players to get back to the level he thought we could have. and he brought
00:43:30
the foundation and the base that has been in this club uh from the time he played till the time he managed and then
00:43:38
he left. So he knows he knows the club he knows how the club wants to play and he knows what the fans want to see.
00:43:45
>> How is he different like what's what tactically or from a character
00:43:49
perspective what does Michael bring as a manager? I know as you know just an hour
00:43:53
ago or so it was announced that he's going to be the Manchester United manager going forward. Um, which is
00:43:58
great news. Um, but what what is if you had to describe him to me as a leader and a manager, what how is he different?
00:44:05
>> I think he's a very he gives you a a lot of calmness, you know, in terms of uh
00:44:11
why he wants from the team, the way he demands, the way he coaches. Um, he gives you he gives you a good way of
00:44:17
going to the game with with a good peace of mind but with a lot of responsibility
00:44:21
because I think from the time he was here with Salex, he gave a lot of responsibility to the players to make
00:44:27
decisions and to make choices on the pitch that have to be on you. He gives you the base. He gives you the
00:44:33
foundation. He gives you certain rules that is like the non-negotiable ones. But then he also knows and he wants us
00:44:41
to take some responsibility through the game that things might change because you prepare a game full week obviously.
00:44:46
But then the team could come and uh do a different thing like you prepare to play
00:44:50
against a 4-33 because they always played 4-33 and then they come and they play 352 and then you go like oh and now
00:44:56
the manager come be on the sideline telling you where to press, where to go. So as a as a players have the
00:45:02
foundation, have the base, have the rules, non-negotiables and from there on we need to find a way of like okay let's
00:45:09
imagine we compress because they've changed everything and the press we prepared was not was not the one we
00:45:14
needed. Let's get compact let's get together. They don't get into our block
00:45:18
when we have the ball we play with the ball. we get into the off time and then the manager will give us the message
00:45:23
that he wants to give or whatever he has seen that we need to do differently in a
00:45:26
way of getting a better result from the from the pressure and I think that's
00:45:30
what he gave to us the calmness and the way he prepares games was very good but when things were not going in the way we
00:45:37
wanted he gave responsibility to the players to like make it work then we solve it
00:45:43
>> ah so like a bit of freedom to >> it's not exactly freedom because freedom
00:45:48
is a different thing He gives you freedom with the ball to make decisions because he says that's your
00:45:54
responsibility on the ball. I can't tell you where to pass the ball. I can't tell
00:45:56
you where to shoot. I can help you where the space is going to be. And I think that the most important thing for a
00:46:01
player is knowing where space is going to be. You need to know where spaces are to then play with it. You know that they
00:46:08
have big gaps there that we can hurt them from there. And this is the message that Michael has passed to the team.
00:46:13
It's like if we attack from here, they have less people on this side. we can
00:46:17
bring more people in the box from this side. We want a very good counter press because they have two strikers. So we
00:46:22
need to have three people in the back. Two of them mark, one of them stays behind. So this is the small things and
00:46:28
the foundation that he give to us. But then he says many times, I can't tell
00:46:32
you where to pass. I can't tell you where to shoot. I give you the solutions
00:46:36
but might not be there. So you have to find a way of making the good pass, the good shot, the good decision because I'm
00:46:42
not going to be in your head in that moment. in their head it's going to be the ideas I gave you and some of them
00:46:48
will be good some of them won't won't work out so you have to make a way of
00:46:52
like understand the good ones I gave you and the other ones that are not working
00:46:56
well you need to find a way of make it work >> so it's more just he gives you the
00:47:00
principles uh instead of specific instructions on how to play and what to do >> kind of gives you but then he lets you
00:47:09
balance through the game >> okay >> he lets let's say he lets the players
00:47:14
read the Because in 90 minutes many things happen and not going to always happen what you see in
00:47:20
the video. Hopefully yes but not always. For example, let's say we had the chance
00:47:27
against um Nottingham Forest that I passed the ball through Brian and he scores. We have seen the same chance
00:47:35
from Villa against Forest. The exact same chance, exact same movements, exact same passes. And we've seen that. We
00:47:42
visualized that and that's why that works because we had the ideas. We knew we could make that happen and we made
00:47:49
it. >> Does he get angry cuz he seems like such a calm guy when you see him in press
00:47:54
conferences. He's very calm and very you know. >> Yeah, he did. He did he did got angry
00:47:58
one once or twice but he's very calm in the way he speaks. But I think I think
00:48:03
everyone gets hungry anyway. But u he's a very calm presence and he's is someone
00:48:08
that speaks very well knows the timing the words he knows what to say. Um and whenever he got when he let's get let's
00:48:17
say more aggressive within us was was the time that we needed to to get that from him. And the way that you play is
00:48:24
interesting because it when I was looking at um a bunch of your quotes over time, but also how I think about
00:48:29
business. You are a player that takes more risks than most people. And we talk a lot about failure in business and how
00:48:35
you have to increase your rate of failure to to to get better outcomes. But you're a player that is not shy of
00:48:40
taking a risk. And you play in a way where you you sometimes lose the ball, but you also, as we've seen this year
00:48:46
and in many other years, you often are generating more opportunities than any other player on the pitch. How do you
00:48:52
think about this? Because the way you play means that sometimes you're going
00:48:55
to make a lot of mistakes. You're going to lose the ball more so than other players. I'd argue even more so than
00:48:59
some of the previous midfielders we've had like Carrick who would often choose
00:49:03
a more safe option than trying to play it through a thin gap. What's your attitude towards risk?
00:49:08
>> I think it's always riskreward. You know, you you need to understand how
00:49:11
much reward you're going to get from that. Um and if taking that risk is good
00:49:18
for the team or not. Let's say the position I play. You need that is has to be one of your
00:49:24
main skills to take risks to do things that the game demands from you and to make sure that your team teammates in
00:49:33
the front get the ball in the positions that is going to be the rate of success for them to score a
00:49:40
goal is going to be higher. I might miss two or three times, but if I get one right, that can become a goal for us.
00:49:48
And I think there's nothing better than a riskreward that is a goal. So I think
00:49:54
when you play as a number 10 position, obviously you don't want to lose the ball. You have to make that as less as
00:50:02
possible. But in certain positions, you lose the ball more often than others. Wingers will lose more the ball on one
00:50:08
v1s than midfielders do. Fullbacks will do normally more crosses than center backs will do. Number sixes will make
00:50:17
more tackles than a striker will do. So is a balance in the team that you need to have. Let's imagine I played with
00:50:26
Kobe and Cassad, they not a risk player. So if I take four times, let's say uh
00:50:34
risky pass and they take one each, that's six times a game. So I need to be the one that takes four. They need to be
00:50:42
the ones that take one one each because the responsibility they have in the team
00:50:47
is the one that they make the team play from the buildup, push the team forward to then get the ball into the players
00:50:53
that have to take the risks >> because if you don't have the players that take the risks,
00:50:59
you're going to end up bubbling. And we talk like for example let's say Man City that is a team that that let's
00:51:07
say Guardiola Tikitaka all these things. De Bruin was the player that take the risks.
00:51:12
>> Cherokee is not the player that take the risks. Phil Falden Dou Mahrez will be
00:51:18
the ones that taking the risks on a 1 v one. >> Has a manager ever told you to take less
00:51:21
risks? >> Eric told me to take less shots >> from the outside of the box. He showed
00:51:28
me a a board with my success rating of shots on target, shots off target, and goals. Showed me the positions where I
00:51:36
was more effective. And he told me, I think you need to get more into these positions to then make your shot.
00:51:42
>> Into what positions? >> Let's say close to the box like in in
00:51:46
the position we would see the box and you would say like more towards left hand side, you score more goals. more
00:51:52
towards the right hand side, you're you aim more the goal towards the middle of
00:51:57
the of of the of the edge of the box, you miss more shots. So, he was like, get more into the left side or get more
00:52:04
into the right side or close range, long range. So, but then obviously is is is we come back to the risk and reward cuz
00:52:14
sometimes obviously you're going to score a great goal from 25 yards out. >> Mhm.
00:52:18
>> But how many times you going to do it out of five? you maybe score one and
00:52:22
he's a lot already. So I need to make that risk become less and less and less
00:52:29
getting more risk probably from 18 yards because there the possibility of me scoring a goal it might be three in five
00:52:38
because I'm much more closer. I can put more power on the ball. I can be much
00:52:42
more effective. >> I've spent the last decade building and investing in companies and so often the
00:52:47
conversation around marketing budgets follows the exact same pattern. The budget gets approved, but then the
00:52:52
results don't come back. And most of the time, the creative pitch and the offer
00:52:56
is fine. The problem lies with the audience. Ads reach people who will never buy or refer, nor do they have the
00:53:04
power to sign off anything at all. And this is why so much budget gets wasted. LinkedIn ads, who are sponsor of this
00:53:09
podcast, lets you reach them specifically by job title, seniority, company size, industry, the skills that
00:53:16
they have, and much more. You're no longer hoping your ad reaches the right person. Instead, you're defining exactly
00:53:22
who sees it. And LinkedIn Ads drives the highest B2B return on ad spend across all major ad networks. Give them a try
00:53:30
at linkedin.com/diary. And if you spend $250 on your first campaign, you'll get a $250 credit for
00:53:37
your next one just by going to linkedin.com/diary. Keep this to yourself. Terms and
00:53:43
conditions apply. Of all the things I thought would ever turn up on my desk, a red light toothbrush was not one of
00:53:50
them. Here we are. This is made by our sponsor Bond Charge, and you'll probably
00:53:55
know of their red light face mask and their infrared sauna blanket because I use them religiously, and I've spoken
00:54:00
about them on this podcast before, but their toothbrush is new to me. I was sent one of these a few weeks ago, and
00:54:07
ever since then, I've been using it religiously because I love their products. And this is the first
00:54:11
toothbrush that combines both red light and near infrared light with sonic cleaning at the same time. The same red
00:54:18
light technology that's used for skin and inflammation is now built into a device you already know so well. And I'm
00:54:24
using it at least two times a day at the moment to clean my teeth. It's great for
00:54:28
your gums, for stimulating gum circulation, and for soreness. And the best part is it's not an extra thing to
00:54:33
add to your routine. It just replaces your current toothbrush. If you give it a try, you'll get 20% off at
00:54:38
boncharge.com/doac. And also, you'll get free shipping and a one-year warranty. That's
00:54:44
boncharge.com/dac. You've had lots of managers, so they've all asked you of different to be, you
00:54:55
know, playing different positions. But on on this pitch here, where is it that you you like to play the most?
00:55:03
I think the positions where I can be more effective is this square. Let's say
00:55:10
here I would say let's let's put it like this. >> Okay. >> Yeah. No, just just need a square.
00:55:15
>> Oh, you just need a square. >> This is let's say imagine we attacking
00:55:19
this side. This this is the spaces where I think I can be more effective in this
00:55:25
square here. And different managers asked you to play in different positions within here
00:55:30
>> because for example uh let's say let's put here with Ruben he used to play three at the back one
00:55:39
wing back two midfielders uh another wing back and striker two with Ruben. I played a lot of times here
00:55:52
in this position when he first came and he wanted me and and in this position these two more more than often you
00:56:00
wanted me to be one of these two to help here to help these two midfielders to build up
00:56:06
>> and to get this guy higher in the position when he can be in the last line
00:56:10
and to get the ball into these two. So what position would you call that? Like left.
00:56:15
>> This was the left 10, let's say. But he wanted me to play more like as a left
00:56:20
midfielder. Okay. >> To help them to like first of all to have more stability in the middle.
00:56:25
Second to get the ball going forward >> to take the risk of passing the ball
00:56:29
forward. Then I played a lot of times here. >> What we're going to do is we're going to
00:56:33
make you unfortunately we're going to make you blue just so we can see which
00:56:35
one you are. >> Okay. >> Okay. So in this one when I played here many times he wanted me here
00:56:41
>> because they were pressing let's say three against three and he wanted me to
00:56:45
come and do the overload. So we had one more player to build up so they will open up this ones a little bit more get
00:56:52
this one more offensive normally was Luke Shaw then as a fullback he was used to play in this space and so then we
00:56:59
could drive the ball and they couldn't press with the three they had they wouldn't be able to press because we
00:57:03
always had this one also to bounce the ball. Then whenever we go up the pitch with the ball, you wanted me here.
00:57:10
>> Reuben did. >> Yeah. You wanted me to play more a little bit more higher to be one of the
00:57:16
three T10s and make this line of 310. Then for example with the Ole I was playing we would play like four two
00:57:26
three one and I will be the number 10. And you wanted me to do this. >> Uh okay. Go across. And sometimes you
00:57:33
wanted me to do this and get the ball here or here to make the long passes and to make the switches to the the wingers.
00:57:41
I think this bit here in the middle is where I'm more I can I I think we all can see the best
00:57:50
version of Bruno. If you ask me where I prefer to play, anywhere on the pitch. I think for the way we play, this is the
00:57:59
position I I can be more effective, but I think I really enjoy to play here because I really enjoy to get the team
00:58:09
to play and if he I played many times with Tanagard like this. >> Mhm. >> I was the number six playing with 28 and
00:58:17
I really enjoy it to play here and it make make myself being different a different player more aggressive off the
00:58:24
ball. someone that has to cover spaces for these ones. >> Regardless of where you are on the
00:58:28
pitch, which can change, what is non-negotiable in terms of how you play? >> Commitment.
00:58:36
That's that's non-negotiable. Like the commitment I have for what we have to
00:58:40
do. It doesn't change by me liking the position or not, me preferring one position or the other. Um that that
00:58:49
won't change. Um, I think running, fighting, and team spirit can never miss.
00:58:58
>> It doesn't appear to me that you ever get tired. And also, one remarkable
00:59:01
thing about you is you don't seem to ever get injured. >> I get tired and I got injured
00:59:05
unfortunately. Oh, >> but how how does that happen? Cuz I I watch you run it be the 89th minute and
00:59:10
you're running up and down still. Is that genetic or is that something you do
00:59:13
in training? What is that? I think obviously I've I have to say that I have good genetics but um is
00:59:21
I I was talking with yoga about this the other day also and the nutritionist about like genetics how how you how you
00:59:28
treat yourself and everything. Uh but then then the same time I said to them you know what's different on me than the
00:59:33
other ones because I always train 100%. I make the training as a game. I don't
00:59:37
care. I go full and if I I don't feel good I I I need to make some extras. If
00:59:42
I feel that the training wasn't like enough, let's do something else. Let's
00:59:45
do some shots. Let's do some crosses to someone. Let's do something that can
00:59:49
make me go out of training and feeling like I'm tired. >> Why is that important? Because I think
00:59:55
in the game you need to get tired and then you know like for example when when I'm training shooting practice or last
01:00:02
third passes I rather train that when I'm tired because going to be the last
01:00:07
20 minutes of the game your brain is not going to work in the same way it was working in the beginning because you get
01:00:12
tired and you get to think slower a little bit. So you need to be able to train your body and your brain when they
01:00:19
are tired. And I think if you do that in training, when you get to the game and you start getting tired, your brain is
01:00:26
used to that also. Your body is used to be tired and it knows how to react into into that moment.
01:00:32
>> These core principles that have been central to how you play have led you to
01:00:36
being given this the captain's armband, which was quite there's lots of talk of
01:00:40
it at the time because Maguire was the captain before you. And it's quite typ
01:00:45
atypical for the captain to be displaced while they're still at the club and for
01:00:48
someone else to be brought in. And as fans from the outside, we wonder how Maguire takes that, how Harry reacts to
01:00:55
that, but also what that means to you to become captain of uh your dream club. No, obviously for me was was a strange
01:01:03
time because I was not expecting, you know, uh Tenner called me to his uh office to speak with me and to ask me if
01:01:10
I wanted to be the captain of the club because he had decided to change the captain and he wanted me to be to be the
01:01:18
one to lead the team from now on. H obviously first thought was like very grateful. um like in something that I've
01:01:27
never dreamed about, you know, like you you can have many dreams, but you don't
01:01:30
dream about being the captain, you know, like of your club. And I think the second thought was like this is going to
01:01:38
be tough on Harry. And the first person that I spoke with after I got out of that was Harry because he knew already.
01:01:44
I think the manager spoke to him and before I said yes, I went to speak with him. uh because the the manager
01:01:50
basically made me the question if I wanted also that he didn't said like you're going to be the captain that's it
01:01:55
point he asked me and I went to speak with Ari and the first question I made was if he was leaving the club because
01:02:03
obviously as you said it's not something normal I've never been through this in
01:02:07
in my whole career and I spoke with him about that the offer that they gave it to me and to be honest to him and he
01:02:15
said he said like if is there someone that that deserves that is you and I'm
01:02:19
I'm very very happy that is is you getting the captain armband that uh if I have to take it off for myself I think
01:02:28
you really deserve that and I think that was the point that made me understand I
01:02:32
was doing things right you know uh obviously I know for him was very difficult and I don't think he would
01:02:38
have said something bad even if he felt it uh to me but the way we spoke and the
01:02:44
way I think I've been treating him through these years also in the same way of like I said straight away to him like
01:02:51
you might have lost the arman but he's still one of our leaders and that won't
01:02:55
change everything that we've been through because Ari when he was the captain we always make decisions
01:03:01
together also because I was one of them and that hasn't changed now because every time I have to do or take some
01:03:07
decisions for the team I speak with certain players and Harry is one of them that is always there
01:03:11
>> and your performance this season speaks for itself uh you've won you've well you've done 34 four
01:03:18
appearances, which I think is an achievement in and of itself because a lot of players aren't that consistent on
01:03:22
the pitch. Um, you've scored eight goals, 20 assists. You've got 12 player
01:03:26
of the match awards, which is the most by any player in the Premier League, six player of the month awards, and only
01:03:32
Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, and Muhammad Salah have more. All of them have seven.
01:03:36
And you've also won Matt Busby's player of the year award for the fifth time,
01:03:40
the most by any other Man United player. And this that's an award voted by the
01:03:44
fans. And there's other awards that I know you've won in recent times. I saw
01:03:47
you on stage the other day winning more awards. What has what's happened? Why
01:03:51
why are you sudden you know you've had you've been consistent throughout the
01:03:54
whole time since you've been at the club, but this year seems to stand out for some reason.
01:03:59
>> No, I think I think for this season, first of all, I think when the team
01:04:04
shines, the individual comes up and I think this season is being much better from the last let's say two seasons. At
01:04:11
the same time, uh I think the assists record and all this going around made made me having a lot of headlines and
01:04:18
and and and stuff like that obviously is is an achievement that hasn't been done
01:04:23
for any player. It's just Kevin De Bruyne and Tierry. So >> I've got the little graph here. It says,
01:04:29
"Yeah, Kevin De Bruyne." Thi actually spoke to to Thierry about this as well
01:04:33
and he sends his regards to you. Congratulates you on um joining him up there um with with the record. Yeah,
01:04:40
it's it's something like that I'm very grateful for, you know, like we I put I
01:04:45
put my name in this in this case with them up there is something something that I've never dreamed about or think
01:04:52
about. I like I probably start thinking about that when I got probably into 16 17 assists. I was like, "Oh, I'm I'm
01:04:59
actually getting closer now." Uh but it was not something that was in my head
01:05:02
because in my head is always improving my last season and getting better numbers, better outputs, better
01:05:09
performance and was never in my mind that I would go to 18, 19, 20 or whatsoever. Uh but obviously when you
01:05:17
start getting close, you start thinking about a little bit >> and then all of us as fans start
01:05:21
watching the games to see if you can do it. >> And then and then obviously I think um
01:05:25
I've been very consistent in terms of performance during my six years here. But um probably other years were people
01:05:34
that stand out that more than me and that's why I probably didn't got as much
01:05:38
attention as I did this season. with being captain and with being at the biggest club in the world. I think in
01:05:44
terms of fan base, um with that comes pressure and responsibility, the world talks about you. You know, no matter
01:05:51
what industry you're in, an occupational hazard of of being at the very very top
01:05:55
or the peak of your powers or being even better is more and more talk. And you know, I think especially because of
01:06:01
this, people are talking even more about Bruno Fernandez than I've ever seen. You
01:06:05
know, in my group chat, I've got a Man United group chat and we're watching the
01:06:08
game. We're watching you. we're willing you to we were willing you to reach this
01:06:11
record which you did and now because you're you know people are saying you're
01:06:15
the you're the player of the year in the Premier League. They're they're giving
01:06:17
you all these big awards. With that comes even more criticism and I think this is where your childhood has
01:06:21
prepared you. >> Yeah. >> That your dad sounds like your dad prepared you. I I wanted to I wanted to
01:06:27
clear something up because it was on my mind. Um, and I imagine it's frustrating
01:06:31
for you, which is when your words are twisted in the media. And recently Roy Keane criticized your mentality based on
01:06:37
a quote he got completely backwards. He claimed you said, "I should have shot,
01:06:41
but I made the passes and used that to suggest that you were chasing individual assist stats. But everyone who actually
01:06:47
listened to the interview, including myself, knows you said almost the exact opposite. You were being self-critical
01:06:52
of yourself in saying you should have passed the ball instead of shot because you wanted the best for your team." And
01:06:57
so, interestingly, because I've spoken to so many of your your players, your,
01:07:01
you know, your teammates over the last couple of days about you, they also told me that this is the exact opposite of
01:07:07
your mentality on the pitch and off the pitch. And I know it must be frustrating
01:07:11
for your leadership style to be sort of misrepresented in that way. Um, how how how do you respond to that? Like, how do
01:07:17
you deal with that when you hear it and you go, "That's not what I said."
01:07:20
>> Yeah. To be honest, like I've always said, I don't mind criticism. I've
01:07:24
always take criticism from everyone and anyone and I never reply to anything or whatsoever. People have an opinion, they
01:07:30
think it's good, bad, whatever. What I don't like was when people lie about
01:07:35
things and this case that you said about Roy Kin, basically what he said is a lie
01:07:39
because you can either either he saw some other interview or he can't say that I said one thing that I've just not
01:07:46
said. And luckily for me is everything on record. Imagine if he wasn't like then people will think like oh yeah
01:07:51
Bruno is is the guy always trying to got the assist but one thing that is consistent is my number of creation is
01:07:59
always the same. So it's not that I've been trying to reach this now no I've
01:08:03
been creating chances since I came to the Premier League probably more than anyone else. So he hasn't changed that
01:08:08
my type of play or of play or way of playing hasn't changed since I came to the Premier League. It's not that this
01:08:14
season probably Roy Kein saw someone like Bruno creating more because he wanted the assist record. No, he's
01:08:19
seeing the same Bruno that is about risky reward, is about creating chances for his teammates, is about getting the
01:08:25
best out of the other ones. Because the thing is like you will get criticized in
01:08:29
a way if you say if you're scoring goals, you'll get criticized because you're not passing the ball and you're
01:08:34
shooting. If you if you if you're doing assists is because you're passing too
01:08:38
much and you're not shooting to score goals. So, it's going to always be like
01:08:41
that. people will always make the the the balance the way they want. They won't balance thing. They will put it
01:08:46
the the way they want to the things to be. And obviously, I think I've always
01:08:50
showed a lot of respect for for Raen and for everything he's done for the club
01:08:54
and for everything he's is is um he's always said I've never ever had
01:08:59
something to say. I've never said something wrong. I even asked Ole his number to text him to be honest to to to
01:09:05
have a word with him to say like that. I don't mind the criticism. I don't like
01:09:09
when people lie about things that I say >> because this is like it goes a little
01:09:14
bit over the top of the things that I think uh are acceptable. I accept criticism. I accept that he can say
01:09:20
things that I don't like and I don't like to see it. But as I said before
01:09:25
that improves me. Uh what I don't like is that people make their own words on
01:09:31
what I say and it's not true. He can criticize me, criticizing me, killing me, say that I'm not good enough, that
01:09:36
I'm not a good captain for him, that I'm not a good player for the club whatsoever. It's bad. Is is okay. I
01:09:42
don't mind. Is it is he opinion? I like it. No. Obviously, I prefer Roy Kein to
01:09:47
give me some praise sometimes because I've achieved something that not many players have achieved. I understand that
01:09:52
this club is about winning trophies. I've never take that off my mind. I've
01:09:55
always said in front of everyone that I want to win the Premier League and the Champions League. I never said I wanted
01:09:59
to be the best Prem player in the Premier League. Never. Never one time any any person has heard that Bruno
01:10:05
wanted to uh get the assist record or get the goals record or get the player of the season or get um being better
01:10:13
than anyone else. Now, Bruno wants the club to be successful. Bruno wants the club to win trophies and that's all
01:10:18
Bruno wants. I accept his criticism. I accept that he he might likes me like me as a player or not, likes me as a person
01:10:25
or not. But what I don't like is that he puts words in my mouth that has not been
01:10:30
said. That's the only thing I don't like. >> Well, I am I I did actually ask your
01:10:35
your teammates what you were like and uh I asked them on and off camera on and off the record. I couldn't get some of
01:10:42
them to be very serious, but um what I what I received is lots and lots of voice notes from lots and lots of your
01:10:48
your former players. I text around uh last night and I'll play you what they
01:10:54
said. My friend Bruno, taking this opportunity to spread some love to you. I just
01:11:03
wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much we value you as a player and as a person. I think not many people
01:11:11
get to see how are you after the games and uh outside of the pitch. So I would say that's one of your best qualities.
01:11:19
the way you care, the way you one of the first to help everyone, your leadership,
01:11:24
your consistency. That's something that I take from from example and you know it. It's been a lot
01:11:31
of years together right now. So hopefully this this can continue and we can win so many things and so much much
01:11:39
more things together. >> Skip Tom for me. a world class footballer consistently world class as
01:11:47
well um which is which is very difficult I think everyone knows that how good you
01:11:52
are but I think more importantly from from my view is how you are as a human being and that's a side that not many
01:11:58
people get to see you know the caring compassionate supporting demanding at the right times but yeah I think for me
01:12:06
that that is by far and a way probably your best quality why you're the the leader of this team and and such a good
01:12:12
human being so for me proud to call the captain, but more importantly a friend. So, top cost.
01:12:17
>> I mean, what he does on the pitch obviously speaks for itself, but I mean,
01:12:22
away from football, he's he's an unbelievable human being. The way he treats people, looks after people, the
01:12:30
way he lifts others when they need it, and I feel like the respect he gives everyone around him that says everything
01:12:37
about his his character. And I feel like I've been lucky to spend a number of years with him. And he's one
01:12:46
of them people that you you kind of appreciate having around you every single day. He's the type of player who
01:12:52
makes people around him better without even trying. We love you, Capitano. >> We love you, Capitano.
01:13:00
>> I mean, I had so many more, but we just don't have the time. >> Yeah. No, it's just uh you know
01:13:06
the standout from that for me is just uh the way they speak uh from me as a person, not more as a
01:13:15
player, you know, like uh and you you picked some people that I'm very demanding on them, you know, like
01:13:22
um Diego and Luke as as being probably the players have been more time with me. Tom is probably up there with Harry,
01:13:29
Harry, Luke, Diego, and then Tom and his uh his people that I really respect a lot. But as as I said to you, like it's
01:13:37
not what they say about me as a player, is more what they say uh from me as as as a person that uh that makes me very
01:13:45
proud and very happy because uh you you can be a good player and I'm going to
01:13:49
meet a lot of good players in the in the world of football and you can train with
01:13:53
a lot of them and and meet them a lot. But uh I think that uh what it stays at the end is like the way you behave as a
01:14:01
person and I like to see that I have the good values that my parents showed me. >> That's what I said at the start when you
01:14:07
started describing what your parents had instilled in you back in Porto. It sounded like what all your colleagues
01:14:13
and your the players you play with said to me as well because I've done this
01:14:16
before and people will say, "Oh, he's a great player. He's amazing." Whatever.
01:14:19
But what was consistently true through all of those messages and there's so many more is they all chose to speak
01:14:24
about you as a human. >> Yeah. >> And that's clear that clearly comes from
01:14:28
what whatever your parents did at a young age. >> Why does that mean so much to you? I can
01:14:34
see it in your face. >> No, because as I said to you, uh I think as a player you can be as good as you
01:14:40
want. like uh at the end of the day I think the way you behave and the way you treat people around you is the most
01:14:46
important thing because you spend so much time with them that uh they kind of become part of your day by day you know
01:14:54
like you see more there often than I see my parents for example I I obviously my
01:14:59
wife and my kids is the people I see the most but then after that is them I don't
01:15:04
see my friends from Portugal as often as them my parents my brother my sister I I
01:15:08
see more them and and the way I behave the way I've been raised, the way I want
01:15:13
to live my life and the way I want uh my kids to be is is the way they have uh they have said the things about me and
01:15:22
this makes me very proud. >> Why what is that emotion? >> I don't know. It's just like uh it's
01:15:31
good to hear that. Just just that. >> It's so interesting cuz I don't think
01:15:37
any anybody else that I've met would respond how you're responding to hearing people
01:15:44
talk about you as a man and as a human. >> I don't know. I'm just a a soft guy. It doesn't look
01:15:50
on a pitch, but I'm quite quite a soft guy. One thing I've learned from interviewing
01:15:56
a lot of founders and building companies myself is that trust is the real currency of business. It's the thing
01:16:01
that gets customers to buy, partners to say yes, and investors to back you. But as you grow, trust stops being just a
01:16:07
feeling and becomes something you have to prove because the bigger you get, the more exposed you are. Customer data,
01:16:12
security expectations, regulations, all of it. And the risk of one small mistake
01:16:16
becomes incredibly significant. And if you've ever tried to scale while keeping
01:16:20
on top of all of that, you'll know it can become a full-time job. But our sponsor, Vanta, automates your
01:16:26
compliance processes and brings compliance, risk, and customer trust together through their AI powered
01:16:31
platform. And the companies already using Vanta say they spend 82% less time on audits because of Vant's platform. So
01:16:38
if your organization wants to inject time back into building and growing, make sure you head over to
01:16:43
vanta.com/diary. That's vanta.com/diary. I've done almost 700 interviews with
01:16:51
some of the most interesting people in the world. And one of the things you learn which is unexpected is that
01:16:56
vulnerability is the doorway to connection. And after sitting here for 2 three hours with a guest, I feel a deep
01:17:02
sense of connection to them. And as they leave, what I get them to do is to write
01:17:06
a question in the diary of a CEO. We've taken all of the questions from the diary of a CEO. We have put the question
01:17:15
here on this card with the name of the person that wrote it. So you can sit at home as I do with my fiance and my
01:17:21
colleagues at work and other people in my life. Whenever we get a minute, we play the diio conversation cards and it
01:17:28
is incredible what happens. These are great if you're in a romantic relationship and you want to connect
01:17:33
your partner more. These are also great if you're in a team and you want to bond
01:17:36
your team together. And I have to say they're also great for families that want to learn more about each other and
01:17:41
that need a good excuse to spend some time in a digital world in the analog environment connecting human to human.
01:17:48
It is remarkable what the right question at the right time can do. Go to the diary.com
01:17:55
and you can get these conversation cards right now. One of the things I learned through my
01:18:00
investigations is that you have a a clause in your contract, and you don't have to confirm or deny this. I'm not
01:18:07
going to ask you to, but what I what I discovered is that you have a clause in your contract which allows you to leave
01:18:11
for I I was I found out 60 million. And you chose not to leave Manchester United. You got a very very very large
01:18:20
financial offer. I mean, I've seen some of the numbers that are reported up to
01:18:24
200 million to leave Manchester United and you chose not to leave. You could have rode off into the sunset. You
01:18:31
frankly, I think the way you were playing, you could have gone to almost any club in the world. You could have
01:18:35
got paid more and probably would have had a a more certain guarantee of winning silverware. And for some reason,
01:18:42
you chose to stay. when that offer came in reportedly from the Middle East that you know the big offer that we're
01:18:48
hearing for a contract that was worth reportedly 200 million. Why didn't you go?
01:18:57
>> Uh I I said it before I I haven't fulfilled my dreams here, you know, at this club.
01:19:04
>> Was that a conversation you had with your wife? >> Yeah, also >> what was that conversation? She seems to
01:19:10
be there all the time when you make these big decisions. Oh, of course she's
01:19:14
the one uh probably I never make a decision by myself because obviously moving around nowadays with two kids has
01:19:24
has a lot to say obviously um and uh more than uh I don't know become most richest person in my own town. I
01:19:36
want to live my dreams and pass through the values to my kids that they they need to have and
01:19:45
my family is always going to be the number one priority in everything I do. Um because
01:19:52
they followed my dream. Uh, [ __ ] you. They um they my wife obviously I know on
01:20:03
the other side it looks great life obviously a lot of money good a lot of good things but she chose to leave my
01:20:11
dream with me and that's says a lot about her because let's say that uh when she
01:20:20
chose to do that I was 17 years old going to a club with uh one point like let's say uh oh you
01:20:32
say 1500 you say >> 1,500 >> yes a month uh in Italy uh a lot of um uncertainty let's say she had uh her own
01:20:45
life she had uh her own dreams and uh obviously She she said like, "I'm
01:20:58
I'm going to help you." And uh that's what she did since uh since day one until now. So she
01:21:07
always has a say on everything I do. >> And you've been with her since you were
01:21:11
16. You're 16. >> Yeah. 16. She was 16. Now I was about to be 17. So more or less that.
01:21:19
And uh and then after that we have we have constructed a beautiful family. two beautiful kids.
01:21:26
>> Yeah. >> And so on that day when you get you get a big offer to leave Manchester United,
01:21:30
she's the first person you speak to. Of course, as always, I spoke obviously
01:21:36
first my agent because he speaks with me about the offer, but then the first thing I did was call her and I was in uh
01:21:44
I think was Hong Kong that we were uh like we went on the postseason tour and uh timing was not the best to talk with
01:21:53
her because of time difference and everything, but she was there again and uh what uh the words she said was like,
01:22:03
"Have you have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve in your career?
01:22:08
And is is this the next step you want to give for for your future and for your career?" Like, because obviously this is
01:22:15
the league I want to be. This is the best league in the world. This is where I'm going to enjoy my football as I'm
01:22:20
not going to enjoy it in any other place. So, we we still have uh dreams to fulfill.
01:22:29
>> Why does that make you emotional? I don't know talking about family
01:22:34
it's uh it's tough just because um in the in the football career you go through a lot ups and downs and a lot of
01:22:46
uh difficult moments and uh let's say the ones that suffered most of them because they see your good
01:22:55
moments, your bad moments, your good things, your bad things, your good side, your bad side also.
01:23:02
But uh they always stand by you. So that's the most important thing you can have in life.
01:23:11
And >> she's always been there. >> Yeah. >> She looks like my fianceé a little bit.
01:23:16
She Portuguese. >> Portuguese girl. Yeah. >> Very down to earth, I hear.
01:23:20
>> Yeah. She's she's the one that pushed me down to earth. Also, when I'm probably
01:23:25
getting too much or feeling too big, she's always also very very tough on me
01:23:32
to make me understand that's all the things to improve. It's my let's say she's the second
01:23:40
version of my dad. Probably that's why I chose her and she chose me in certain way.
01:23:53
Does she know this? Does she know? Have you been able to tell her? >> Yeah.
01:23:58
>> Yeah. >> I'm uh She's not. She's going to I can't
01:24:02
say the word what she's going to say after she sees this and she sees me crying. She's going to say I'm very
01:24:07
soft. I won't say the word exactly, but let's say I'm the affection one, you
01:24:12
know, the one that likes Uggs, that likes uh she's she's more I don't know.
01:24:18
She's she likes she's she I think she she's through her life she had uh she had many
01:24:27
things going on and she built this thing around her that she doesn't need let's say she doesn't need much love or
01:24:35
whatsoever but is there many moments where I know she needs I know she feels it I
01:24:42
know she kind of like she's just like is not good at saying what she feels And uh
01:24:49
I'm more open. I I show more my emotions. I show more if I care, if I don't care, if I suffer, if I don't
01:24:56
suffer. She she kind of clos it a little bit for herself. Um but uh she's a very strong woman to be
01:25:05
honest. >> I know you have two beautiful kids together. >> Yeah, she we have a beautiful girl. That
01:25:11
was the first one. at the time we were in Italy and then it came little Gonzalo when we were in England. So one let's
01:25:22
say that she's always saying that she's half Italian and one uh that basically
01:25:27
looks like British is white blonde um and uh one half English let's say and then two full Portuguese people.
01:25:36
>> I didn't realize your celebration where you you cover your ears as for your
01:25:39
daughter. >> Yeah. >> She covers her ears, right? Yeah, she used to do it when she was younger.
01:25:44
She's too old for that now. She's a little Anna now. Very very strong minded, very strong attitude. She has a
01:25:51
lot from me in the terms of uh being very strong and very she's like uh she can take care of herself very well. Is
01:26:02
exactly like her mom. >> Well, I wanted to say thank you. I'm a Man United fan and hearing that you, you
01:26:10
know, have gone through this very tumultuous period with the club where you could have gone where you've had
01:26:14
many offers from many people to go and do something else and you've had offers
01:26:17
where people offered you even more money and for whatever reason and I think it I
01:26:22
now understand because I've understood your values that your parents instilled
01:26:26
in you, you chose to stay and to stick with us as a club and as a fan base. So on behalf of myself and all of my
01:26:33
friends that Man United fans and the Man Manchester United fan base, I just wanted to say a huge thank you. Loyalty
01:26:38
is increasingly rare these days in football um because people are often thinking about other things. So as a Man
01:26:44
United fan, thank you so much. By doing that, you've also taught me something as
01:26:50
a man. You've also taught me what loyalty is and how you treat other people. And you've taught me a lesson
01:26:55
about responsibility in my businesses, in my relationships, and in my life. And I think this is a really important
01:27:00
lesson because there are so many young men that look up to you. And what you've
01:27:04
said through the good and the bad times is that you keep on going. You keep on going. You keep on fighting. You don't
01:27:11
give up. You don't quit. And it's so great that the captain of the biggest
01:27:14
club on earth has those values and puts those values before other things that might tempt someone with less integrity.
01:27:24
So I just wanted to say a huge thank you. And I I also am passing that on from many of your teammates who are very
01:27:28
very very glad that you stayed. >> Okay. Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. That's very kind words
01:27:34
from you >> and I hope you stay even longer because I think we're coming into an interesting
01:27:39
period at Manchester United where I think we have a lot of the sort of foundations in place now
01:27:45
to to carry on. >> That's what I hope so. And I think this not the club but everything in general,
01:27:52
the fans and everyone I think really really deserve to be back to the glory days.
01:27:59
>> Things have changed. I mean Inos are here now. I know the um I know quite a
01:28:02
lot of the guys at Inos. I was away in the in the tour with a couple of them during the American preseason tour and
01:28:10
one of the things they said to me is what that when they arrived in the club there wasn't structure. A couple of them
01:28:14
had said to me there just wasn't. And it's so rare that you have this this
01:28:18
huge gap between the manager and the ownership or the players and the ownership that usually in clubs there's
01:28:23
structure. They've I think from what I've heard from players they've put that
01:28:27
structure in place now. How has it changed with any arrival? No, I think was first of all it was important
01:28:34
because as you said uh not that we didn't have a structure but was very difficult for players to understand
01:28:40
where where they had to go to talk in certain situations that they we were not very clear we should talk with
01:28:47
>> and now I think it's very clear that you have Jason then you have Omar and then
01:28:52
you have sim I'm I'm very aware that now the structure that we have is a is a
01:28:58
good foundation and a good base for us to understand where and which places we need to go if we need something as a
01:29:04
club or as a players. >> Has it improved? >> We started a process with uh Reuben
01:29:10
where we thought that would be a process of 3 four years. That was the plan of the club. Then we know there was a break
01:29:15
in in a relationship there between the manager and the club and they had to change unfortunately. Uh and now they
01:29:22
today they they have announced that they want to go in a direction with the with
01:29:25
Michael and hopefully for me I hope that he stays stable because the main thing the club needs is stability in terms of
01:29:33
managing because if you really believe that Michael is the guy and and you took him to the job I think you have to give
01:29:41
him the foundations he need to build what he thinks he needs for a successful team. At the same time, I think you
01:29:48
brought someone in that knows what are the values of the club. And I think that's the main thing and the most
01:29:53
important thing that the club brings people in that know the values and know what's needed and have a great character
01:29:59
to be at this club. >> And Michael is the guy. >> Yeah. Because as I said, I think he's
01:30:03
the he's the one that uh knows the club better than any any player that here. Uh
01:30:08
he's been probably more time at the club. I've been with him as a manager,
01:30:11
assistant manager and then manager. the way he behaves uh he shows that he has the character to be the manager of Man
01:30:18
United. I think that's very important to have someone that in the the full process will know always where he wants
01:30:26
to go, where he wants to be and how much he wants this club to succeed. >> You said to me earlier that since
01:30:32
Michael Carrick has joined, Man United have won more points than any club in the Premier League, and that's
01:30:35
statistically accurate. For this to continue on and to continue going forward, obviously the summer is going
01:30:40
to be really, really important. And I was talking to a few of the other players about this as well like Diego.
01:30:45
What needs to happen this summer in your opinion for Manchester United to continue to move up and potentially even
01:30:51
fight for the title? >> We need recruitment is is obviously we know we know like obviously we losing
01:30:56
Casemiro there is a pal pal thing that we had. So we going to need a player to replace him. Uh either is a player that
01:31:03
is already in the house. Either is a player that's coming. We need to reinforce the team to become stronger as
01:31:09
a team. not we need the best player in the world this or that. No, we need players that want to come to United to
01:31:15
understand that we through a process that we want to win the league but it might not happen but this is the way we
01:31:21
want to go to become the successful club that we were before. So I think the recruitment has to be the right one. We
01:31:27
need to bring the right people in again as we did last summer. I think in that Reuben was great in the choices he made
01:31:33
to bring the players he he did to to the club because he brought good characters,
01:31:37
good players and good professionals also. And I think that's very important for the next one.
01:31:42
>> Bruno, we have a closing tradition on this podcast where the last guest leaves
01:31:45
a question for the next guest not knowing who they're leaving the question for. And the question that's been left
01:31:49
for you is if we sat here in 5 years time and the five years that had just passed were a huge success. What would
01:31:59
have had to have happened? Huge success. Well, at let's say that I've I've won the Premier League, I've
01:32:08
won the Champions League with the club and uh we've brought >> got the old
01:32:14
>> we've brought the club back to the place he has to be in terms of club.
01:32:19
Obviously, in five years time, I would like to be able to touch one of the gold ones too with my national team. Of
01:32:26
course, that's let's say that's my biggest goal in terms of career >> is probably the World Cup.
01:32:34
>> I would say because winning the Premier League and the Champions League with
01:32:38
this club will be amazing, but representing my nation will be always the biggest achievement I have in my
01:32:43
career because not many players get to do that. You know like uh representing your this is
01:32:51
when you represent your people when you represent your parents, your brother, sister, wife, kids. This
01:32:59
is you you represent that small nation inside but in size but big in quality and big in in love and and fearless a
01:33:10
fearless country that has conquered the world many times in different ways and do it in a in in in a football way will
01:33:17
be will be a great achievement for us >> irrespective of what happens here and I
01:33:23
I very much believe that Manchester United has now the potential to go and challenge for these trophies here
01:33:29
because of all the hard work that has been put in by many people in this club, but also because of your loyalty. Um,
01:33:34
irrespective of what happens, uh, you're going to be a cult hero at this club
01:33:38
forever. Not not not irrespective of this stuff, because I think you've done
01:33:42
something which is even harder and even more rare in the modern world, which is you've shown tremendous loyalty,
01:33:47
unbelievable character, you've shown humanity, and you've set an example for
01:33:51
the club when we were at our weakest, when we needed someone to do that the most. It's all well and good doing it
01:33:57
when everything's great. It's all well and good, but doing being that committed
01:34:01
and that loyal and setting that much of an example and continuing to run on the pitch, but also to be an exceptional
01:34:07
human off the pitch when times are hard, I think says even more about a man. So again, on behalf of all the Man United
01:34:12
fans, a huge, huge thank you and um please sign the contract >> when he's in the table.
01:34:20
>> Brilliant. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well done. Thank you so much.
01:34:24
Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. >> YouTube have this new crazy algorithm
01:34:27
where they know exactly what video you would like to watch next based on AI and all of your viewing behavior. And the
01:34:33
algorithm says that this video is the perfect video for you. It's different for everybody looking right now. Check
01:34:40
this video out and I bet you you might love it.