Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed he coached team-mate Shea Lacey when the teenage starlet was in the club's Under-14 academy side.
Fernandes completed his UEFA B diploma through the Old Trafford club alongside former United midfielders Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic, tutoring Lacey for a day during his training badges.
Speaking to the Men in Blazers Media Network, the 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder said Lacey, now 19, has developed significantly since their coaching session.
"His technical ability was never in doubt," Fernandes said. "I often joke with him because I coached him when I was taking my coaching badges, and I remember he was in the U14 team then."
"So, Juan Mata and I basically coached him for a day. I told him he's much better now than he was at 14. He is much more mature, doing very well," he added. "I think what they all need they want to be part of the team and play for the team is to treat every training session like a game."
Mentality shift and first-team emergence
Lacey made his senior debut for Manchester United against Aston Villa in December and appeared as a second-half substitute during a 2-0 defeat away to Hull City on Saturday.
Fernandes, who plays in the same position as Lacey, noted that the winger returned for the current campaign with an improved mentality and movement off the ball.
"I think Shea Lacey came with a completely different mentality this season in terms of movement off the ball," Fernandes said. "I think that's great, and it's what I talked to him about after returning from vacation, because I watched their three games. He plays in the same position as me, which requires a high level of running and emotional intelligence in covering space and assisting teammates in attack, and he has done very well."
Manchester United are one of English football's most prominent Premier League clubs, playing their home matches at Old Trafford in Manchester. Fernandes was crowned PFA Player of the Year this week following a campaign in which he broke the Premier League record for assists. The Portuguese international joined United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and has spent six and a half years at the club.
Life in England and tea preference
Asked about adapting to life in England after more than six years in Manchester, Fernandes admitted he has embraced local coffee shop culture while rejecting traditional English black tea.
"I would say not much," Fernandes said when asked if there was anything Mancunian about him. "The only thing is that I now really like going to coffee shops. To be honest, I used to go in Portugal, but only for breakfast. Now, at any time of day, I can go for a coffee, which I wasn't used to doing."
"I still don't drink English black tea; I can't mix water with milk, sorry, and then tea. That's not for me yet," Fernandes added. "But Tom Heaton always has a cup of tea in his hand at any time of day. But if he calls me for a coffee I will always go. Maybe not tea, maybe a cappuccino, maybe another kind, like a latte, I don't know, but not English tea yet!"
Response to defeat and upcoming fixture
The United captain spoke following criticism of his team-mates after the loss at Hull's MKM Stadium, where he fumed that the squad was making the "same mistakes as last season." His public comments prompted former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to tell Fernandes he "needs to keep his mouth shut."
Manchester United will aim to bounce back from the shock 2-0 defeat at Hull when they face another newly-promoted side, Ipswich Town, at Old Trafford on Sunday.
