Bruno Fernandes has cheekily claimed the credit for Marcus Rashford being named the Premier League's Player of the Month for January.
Rashford picked up the award for the second time after scoring three goals in four games over the course of the month. He helped Manchester United to claim two wins, including a derby day victory over fierce rivals Manchester City.
The pick of his goals came in the defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal, when he fired in from long-range. And his performances earned him both the top-flight award and United's own club one, which is voted for by supporters.
Rashford took to social media to celebrate his double win, posting a photo on Instagram holding the two trophies. He paid tribute to his team-mates for helping him to earn the recognition.
"The last month couldn't have gone better for me. On a personal note, it's the first time I've won these awards together and hopefully not the last. Thank you to my teammates, the coaches, my family and the fans for helping me to win these awards," he wrote.
Fernandes quickly moved to jokingly take credit for Rashford's win, having provided the assist for two of the striker's goals. He replied with a brutal two-word response to Rashford's post, writing: "You welcome".
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Rashford has now scored 18 goals in 31 games in all competitions this season, carving out a key role in Erik ten Hag's team. And he has vowed to keep those performances up as United seek to end their six-year trophy drought.
“It’s obviously a nice feeling. For me, we’re entering one of the most important parts of the season, so I’m still looking to achieve a lot of things. Winning these types of achievements along the way always helps you to push forward and improve," he told MUTV.
“I’m hoping that I can continue to do that in the coming games. It’s probably just being in the right place at the right time, consistently doing that. Consistently being in the areas can be tough at times because the ball’s not always there.
"Like I said, I’m pleased that they’re going in and I feel confident enough to take the chances when they come so it’s about searching for that chance, and you have 95 minutes in a game to do it.
“The manager is obviously encouraging us to express ourselves on the pitch. I think it’s clear now that we have a way of playing, a clear identity of playing and he wants us to stick to it but in the right areas, go and express yourself and try things that can make a difference.”
Rashford will hope to get February off to a good start on Saturday afternoon when United host Crystal Palace. The striker is almost certain to start at Old Trafford amid his impressive scoring run.
