Bruno Fernandes will play a crucial role for the Portuguese national team at EURO 2024. At least, that is head coach Roberto Martinez’s plan.

“It is very difficult to find a player like Bruno, who did not miss any matches at Man United last season. As for the Portuguese national team, he has many teammates at the same level. He will play his important role at EURO 2024,” Martinez shared with Rio Ferdinand in a recent conversation on the FIVE podcast.

Bruno Fernandes’ stable performance at Man United is a plus point. But Martinez doesn’t rely on this. In fact, since coming to power in January 2023, the Spanish strategist has seen Bruno as the nucleus for the reconstruction in the Selecao. Superstars like Ronaldo or Bernardo Silva are not as good as Bruno Fernandes, at least in Martinez’s eyes.

Let the statistics speak for themselves: Bruno Fernandes is the player who played the most under Roberto Martinez with 1048 minutes. In second place is midfielder Ruben Dias (1035) and Ronaldo is only fifth with 816 minutes. No one has played 13 matches like Bruno Fernandes under the Spanish coach.

It can be said that Roberto Martinez’s faith has been rewarded. Bruno Fernandes has had his hand in 17 goals under Martinez (9 goals, 8 assists) more than any other Portuguese player. This statistic is far behind Ronaldo with 10 goals and 2 assists. How can you not “love” a player who is good at both scoring and assisting?

When it comes to holding the ball, Bruno Fernandes is not as skillful as Vitinha. In terms of finishing, the Man United midfielder is far behind Ronaldo. Regarding passing the ball, Bruno also has to learn from Bernardo Silva. But Roberto Martinez found other advantages in Bruno. It is diversity in gameplay, boldness and a spirit of not surrendering.

“Bruno has the ability to do what the game demands. He knows how to escape from pressure to score goals like against Slovakia in the qualifying round. He even knows how to adjust his position to match the flow of the match without the coach’s direction. He is very free when playing football but also very smart so as not to destroy the structure of the team,” Martinez commented on number 8.

With a coach with a fierce personality like Martinez, it’s easy to understand why he likes a player who always comes out with a fiery fire like Bruno Fernandes. Bruno’s surprisingly fit and durable physical condition is also a clear advantage. Compared to the older Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva is often exhausted after a stressful season at Man City, only Bruno Fernandes always brings 100% strength and desire.

In the Portuguese national team, Bruno Fernandes also has more advantages thanks to playing among a group of players at a very high level. While at Man United, Ten Hag’s lack of front and back squad caused Bruno to sometimes become out of rhythm. If you want to see the best version of Bruno Fernandes, look forward to EURO 2024.