Bruno Fernandes has hit back at a sly dig from Jose Mourinho which suggested he has only scored penalties since he moved to Manchester United.
The Portuguese midfielder inspired United to their revival under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with his goals and assists helping them finish third in the Premier League as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Since joining in late January the 25-year-old has netted 12 goals and notched eight assists, with eight of those goals coming from the penalty spot.
Speaking back in July former United manager Mourinho aimed a sly dig at his compatriot when he referenced the amount of penalties he tad taken since moving to England.
“Bruno came in, was fit, played very well, improved the United team and also proved to be a great penalty taker, one of the best in the world, because he had about 20 to score," Mourinho said.
Following on from those comments Fernandes netted another two goals from the spot as he scored against both Copenhagen and Sevilla in the Europa League, but his contribution has been far more than simply scoring from 12-yards.
Fernandes insists he took Mourinho's words as a compliment and referenced his output compared with Kevin de Bruyne as evidence of his overall contribution.
“I honestly did not feel stung," the United midfielder told A Bola.
“I feel that I am a good penalty taker and nothing more, I understand, but what I take from his [Mourinho’s] words, because I’m a very positive person, is that he said I hit penalties well.
“It is a reality, not least since I arrived at Manchester United.
“I hear people saying, ‘ah, he only scores from penalty kicks’ but a little while ago, I saw the statistics and, except for penalties, only Kevin De Bruyne has a higher involvement in goals than me in England when it comes to midfielders.”
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