Bruno Fernandes at centre of disagreement as Roy Keane's ex-Man Utd team-mate speaks out

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Bruno Fernandes' commitment and leadership have been celebrated amid his continuing row with Roy Keane . Former Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley has hailed the midfielder's contributions as 'out of this world ' after steering the club back into the Champions League , in stark contrast to his former team-mate's assessment.

Fernandes claimed the Premier League assist record on the final day of the campaign as United beat Brighton , having matched the mark set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne a week earlier against Nottingham Forest . After that fixture, Keane criticised the mentality of Fernandes and his colleagues, claiming they were overly preoccupied with achieving the Portuguese star's milestone rather than securing victory.

Former Sporting CP player Fernandes responded to the Irishman, accusing him of dishonesty after misrepresenting his comments . The 31-year-old even revealed he had requested Keane's number to tackle the matter directly.

United legend Keane has previously argued Fernandes should be relieved of the captaincy at Old Trafford, but Bardsley holds the opposite view. The former full-back was effusive in his praise of Fernandes' endeavours.

"Absolutely," Bardsley told the Mirror when asked if he was happy with Fernandes as Michael Carrick's captain. "He leads by example every day in training, delivers on the football pitch, and yeah, he's elite."

Fernandes has just a year left on his current deal, though United hold the option to extend his contract by a further year. The seasoned star is reported to have a £56million release clause that could make him available to rival clubs.

Bardsley believes it is crucial that United keep hold of him ahead of a Champions League campaign. The former Sunderland and Stoke City defender was eager to draw attention to the behind-the-scenes contributions that Fernandes makes, which often go unrecognised.

"Yeah, he's hard to describe," said Bardsley. "He's just brilliant at what he does.

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"He's a brilliant football player and a joy to watch. I'm very lucky to watch United on a regular basis and see him deliver.

"Even if he's having a bad game, his work rate is out of this world. I think sometimes that goes unnoticed because of the goals and the assists, but he's a proper player."

Former United full-back Patrice Evra has also stepped up to defend Fernandes. The Frenchman appreciates Keane's irritation given the media spotlight on the assist record, but Evra suggested he would also look to help the Portuguese star surpass it.

"After the media made the assist record big, I will understand some reaction from [Roy] Keano because they are winning people," Evra told Stake. "It's more about the frustration.

"It's not like I agree with what he said, but I understand both sides. And of course, if I play with Bruno and I know he can break the record, I will do my best to help him because now the goal is we already achieved, we qualified for the Champions League. So definitely the next game, I will try to pass the ball to Bruno and he can make an assist and break the record."

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