Keane and Fernandes clear air after row over 'lie'

Roy Keane has cleared the air with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, with the pair having a "lovely chat" after he misquoted the Portuguese - which led to Fernandes accusing him of lying.

Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keane also implied Fernandes was prioritising individual accolades over the team's success.

Fernandes broke the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season on the final day of the 2025-26 campaign, setting up his 21st goal against Brighton.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast after the penultimate round of fixtures in May, Keane questioned Fernandes' mindset and described him as being at the centre of a "circus act".

He claimed the Portugal midfielder had said "I probably should have shot but I made them passes" in an interview following the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.

Fernandes subsequently accused Keane of telling a "lie", pointing out that his actual post-match comments were: "There were probably moments today when I should have passed instead of shot.

"I'm very happy for the assist, but more than that, I'm happy for the win and to finish the season on a high."

Fernandes said he was keen to meet the former Manchester United captain to discuss the issue, with Keane revealing on Wednesday's Stick to Football podcast that a "nice, mature conversation" had taken place.

"There was a reaction after what we said on the podcast a few weeks ago and he reached out to me and wanted a chat - I called him and we had a lovely chat," Keane said.

"It was nice because when we do podcasts or games, sometimes you think you say something afterwards and you communicate something and it doesn't come across properly, so people get upset and he said he wanted to talk to me. We had a nice, mature conversation.

"I like having boundaries with players. I don't want to be speaking to players every few weeks or their agents, I don't want to go down that road, but every now and then a player might reach out, so I think it was important I spoke to him.

"There has been lots going on and lots reported. He's obviously a big player for United, I'm an ex-United player and I think the idea of this communicating and having a proper conversation, I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I think he did as well. Nice chat about a bit of everything and I felt better afterwards."

Manchester United have released their retained list for the 2026-27 season, with Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho leaving the club.

Casemiro scored 26 goals in 160 matches after joining United in August 2022, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and received a fond farewell on his final Old Trafford appearance against Nottingham Forest in May.

Sancho, who moved to the club in 2021, amassed 83 appearances before joining former club Borussia Dortmund on loan in 2024.

He subsequently made temporary moves to Chelsea and Aston Villa, with his final match for United coming in August 2023.

Full-back Malacia chalked up 50 appearances between 2022 and 2026 but saw his stint at the club disrupted by a serious knee injury.