ROY KEANE admitted “I’m happy to be proved wrong” after eating his words about Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
The midfielder was in sumptuous form as his side beat Man City 2-1 in yesterday’s FA Cup final.
Fernandes was at the heart of everything good as goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo secured victory at Wembley.
His brilliant pass set up United’s second, with City only pulling back in the dying minutes through Jeremy Doku.
And fans are now keeping their fingers crossed that Fernandes stays put in the summer window after he hinted at a potential transfer exit.
But one man who particularly enjoyed the Portuguese’s performance was United legend Keane.
The former Red Devils midfielder was previously critical of Fernandes, claiming in October that he should be stripped of the captaincy after a stroppy showing.
However, Keane was left beaming in the wake of the FA Cup final, claiming Fernandes finally stepped up as a leader.
And the Irishman even added he was happy to be left eating humble pie following his earlier blast.
Keane told ITV Sport: “I’ve been critical of Bruno over the years but I’m happy to be proved wrong.
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“His leadership today was outstanding. We’ve always mentioned how brilliant he’s been as a player but you know, I’m just pleased for the fans.
“It’s been a frustrating few months. Yeah we’re quick to criticise and Man City didn’t play well today but it’s about United today and you’ve got to enjoy these moments.
“Absolutely amazing. That was a proper Man United performance. They were dogged, they sat in, they played some good stuff going forward.
“They scored two goals and I think they had a bit of confidence coming into the game from their games against Newcastle and Brighton back scoring goals.”
Keane’s change in tone came after he slammed Fernandes in the wake of United’s 3-0 league defeat to City in October.
Keane said at the time: “The first thing I would do is take the captaincy off him. I know it’s a big decision but Fernandes is not captain material.
“He’s a talented player, but what I saw today, he’s whingeing, he’s moaning, he’s throwing his arms up in the air constantly.
“It really isn’t acceptable. When you’re talking about where do they make changes – board level, managers – I’d start with that because the manager is capable of doing that.
“Fernandes is a brilliant footballer but he’s the opposite to what you want in a captain.”
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