In the Beast Mode On podcast, Bruno Fernandes discusses breaking the assists record and winning the PFA Award last season, while sharing his thoughts on his game-reading ability, the sacrifices he has made in his career, and his training methods. This is the first part of the exclusive interview.

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Bruno Fernandes: I've been fortunate in my career to have players around me who understand my passing intent.

Was there a moment last season that you felt didn't receive enough attention, or wasn't truly appreciated for its importance?

I've always felt that some things get recognized and some don't. For me, what others see or don't see doesn't change much. What matters more to me is receiving recognition from the right people.

Especially an award like the one we're talking about now, which is chosen by the players. The players competing against me on the pitch every week chose me, and that makes me very proud. It's the most important thing I got from last season.

Honestly, I'm not a player, but I also vote. I actually felt quite awkward voting for you, but I did it anyway (laughs). So, let me ask you this: if you could give one piece of advice to a young Bruno when he was just starting out, what would you tell him?

As I've always told myself, believe in yourself. Because throughout your career, there will always be moments when someone doubts how good you are or how good you can become. This will always happen from the beginning to the end of your career—it won't change. No matter how many times you prove yourself and no matter how many awards like this you win, some people will still doubt you.

At the highest level of the game, public opinion about you can change every week, sometimes even every three days. Sometimes you'll be praised, and sometimes you'll hear unpleasant things. You just need to learn to handle it and keep believing in yourself. Because if you've reached a certain position, it means you must have done something right.

Good. Name one player you think has a chance to make the PFA Team of the Year this season.

There are always many players like that. But there's one player I really like: Lloyd Scott from Bournemouth. Of course, as you know, compared to other teams, the big teams always get more attention. But I think he played very well last season, and I believe he can definitely compete for a place.

Honestly, he really knows how to play. I mentioned before that when I play, the biggest sacrifice to maintain the "athletic beast" that everyone knows is not being able to eat Bourbon biscuits (laughs). That's my sacrifice. So for you, what do you think is the biggest sacrifice you've made to reach your current position?

For me, it's more about the physical aspect. I always have to push myself to the limit, because I know I'm not the strongest or the fastest player. So physically, I have to constantly push myself to the limit. At the same time, you also need to understand that there will definitely be some very difficult moments in a match, and at those times, you have to play with your brain.

I think when you start feeling physically uncomfortable, when you start feeling tired, you have to use your brain more. This has also been my biggest advantage throughout my career. I always rely on my thinking, and I try to make decisions slightly faster than others. Because I'm not the fastest or the strongest, I have to anticipate what will happen next and try to do something before others realize what I'm about to do. I think this has always been my most important ability, and it's the most important thing that has helped me become a top player and reach the highest level.

You just said you're not the strongest. Actually, I could give you some fitness lessons (laughs). I'm just telling you, we could train together.

I wouldn't mind at all, I really wouldn't. A person is always learning.

I like that answer. Let me ask you again: when was the last time you surprised yourself on the pitch? A moment that made you think, "Wow, I've still got it" (laughs)?

Honestly, I've always been like this... because when I was young, back in my day, people often played football on the streets. And I was usually the youngest, because my brother is five years older than me, so I often played with him and his friends.

So I got used to losing to others from the start, and I also got used to beating those stronger than me. Because of that, I was never afraid to put in a tackle to win the ball, and I was never afraid of physical confrontation. But if I had to mention a recent time, I think it was during a training session last season. I ran about 50 yards against Benjamin Šeško. Of course, I started about two steps ahead of him (laughs).

He was behind me at that point, so I kept pushing myself to accelerate. At that moment, I hit my personal top speed of 35.5 kilometers per hour. He reached about 37, almost 38 kilometers per hour. So in the end, he still caught up with me. But I was really proud of myself at that moment. Because Ben is a player who is very strong physically, with excellent physical qualities, and very fast too.

But that's exactly what I want to do. During training, I like to challenge those I know are stronger than me in some aspects, so I can test myself.

I like that. You broke the assists record and won the PFA Award. How do you rate last season in the context of your entire career?

Of course, it was a very special season. Because I broke a record that had stood for many years, and Kevin had also matched that record previously, so to do that was truly incredible. Actually, for me, when my assists reached around 14 or 15, I had already set a new personal record for assists in a single Premier League season.

So for me, that in itself was already a huge achievement. Because my goal has always been to become a better version of myself, not to try to outdo others. Then, as I got closer to the record, everyone started talking about it more and more. Of course, you see these discussions too and start to pay attention.

But my goal was never to surpass Henry and De Bruyne. It's just that assists are part of my game, so in the end, this record came naturally, and of course I'm very happy about it. If you asked me to give a specific score for last season, I wouldn't do it. But from my personal perspective, it was a very successful season.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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