Bruno Fernandes’ behaviour on the pitch is turning his own Manchester United team-mates against him, according to Paul Parker.
Fernandes was the star of the show for United in their most recent Premier League match, scoring twice in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.
He opened the scoring thanks to a calamitous error from Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who let his long-range effort through his legs, before making it 2-0 with a powerful strike off the underside of the crossbar.
Villa hit back through Jacob Ramsey and Philippe Coutinho to earn a point, but it remained a good performance personally for Fernandes, who was given the captain's armband and moved onto seven Premier League goals for the season.
However, while he was effective in front of goal, former United defender Parker was not impressed by his general attitude and body language at Villa Park.
"Fernandes is a concern for me,” Parker told Talk of the Devils .
“Just watching him and the way he portrays himself on the pitch, I’m sure there are players within that squad that don’t like him and what he does on that pitch.
"He brings too much attention to everything. He puts in a bad tackle and he’s telling people to get up.
“He gets tackled himself and he rolls around, and he wants to show he’s got a nick on his sock or something."
Parker highlighted a particular incident involving Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who offered his hand to Fernandes after a foul on the Portuguese midfielder.
"Watkins tried to help him up the other day. He’s a lovely lad, no malice in him," he said.
"He felt he didn’t do anything and he tried to get him up, wasn’t rude to him and he (Fernandes) pushes his arms up into his face and was very disrespectful to him. All that adds a bit."
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The match was followed on Monday by reports that Fernandes is unhappy with his current contract at United.
According to The Athletic , Fernandes wants improved terms on his deal, which is some way short of United’s top earners, Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea.
Parker believes that the 27-year-old should show more respect to his employers, who signed him from Sporting Lisbon for an initial fee of £47million two years ago.
"Where are you going to go?" Parker said. "Where have you been prior to coming to Man United where you have had all this around you?
"No one out there really wanted him. United have grabbed hold of him. I can understand why other clubs haven’t gone to him, I think there is a little bit about him personally that has maybe kept people away.
"Because when you look at him as a footballer you ask, ‘why has he not played for these big clubs around Europe?’
"United have grabbed hold of him and made a career out of him. If he’s not loyal enough to respect that, what the club has done for his stature then so be it, he shouldn’t be at the football club."
