Fernandes' pride at PL assist record

Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes says he did not think about the Premier League assist record until he reached number 19 against Brentford last month.

Fernandes has been on an amazing run of form since Michael Carrick took charge at United in January.

The Brentford game, when he set up Benjamin Sesko, was his seventh assist in as many matches and left him one short of the season record, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.

Fernandes was asked on the day by team-mates if he would have passed to Benjamin Sesko rather than shoot himself had he not been so close to the record.

The 31-year-old denied it at the time and, after creating Bryan Mbeumo's goal in the 3-2 victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford, insisted he was not thinking about the record until after the Brentford game.

"When I got to 19, you start thinking a little bit," he said.

"I had never done 19 either, so even if I had finished with 19, I would be very happy.

"Obviously, it's a proud moment. We're speaking about Thierry and Kevin, two of the main names of the Premier League, and for me I'm very grateful and very happy to do it."

Fernandes has been named Manchester United Player of the Year for the fifth time.

And he still has one game left to break the assist record, at Brighton next Sunday.

Judging by the reaction of his team-mates at Old Trafford yesterday, they are quite keen to make it happen.

"It doesn't change the way I play my game, so I will still have to create things for my team, and hopefully it can happen but if it doesn't, I'm already very happy because I've never done 20 assists in the Premier League," he said.

"My team-mates were aware but they are aware also I try everything I can to help them.

"I didn't want to make it about myself because at the end of the day scoring the goal is the biggest thing in football and I wanted Bryan to celebrate his goal because if he doesn't put it in the back of the net, my record will not be there."