In the Beast Mode On podcast, Bruno Fernandes discussed his feelings about breaking the Premier League assists record and winning the PFA Player of the Year award last season. He also shared insights into his game-reading ability, the sacrifices required for his career, and his training methods. This article is the first part of an exclusive interview.

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Were there moments last season when you felt you weren't getting enough recognition, or that people didn't fully appreciate your importance?

I always feel 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 is receiving recognition from everyone around me.

Especially the award we're talking about now, which is voted on by players—the players who compete against me every week voted for me, and that makes me very proud. That's the most important thing I got from last season.

To be honest, even though I'm not a player, I still voted. It was difficult for me to vote for you, but I did (laughs). So let me ask you: if you could give advice to a young Bruno when he first started out, what would you tell him?

Like I always tell myself: believe in yourself. Because throughout your career, there will be times when people doubt how good you are or how much better you can become. This will be true from the beginning to the end of your career. It won't change. No matter how many times you prove yourself or how many awards you win, people will always doubt you.

At the highest level of the game, your public image can change every week—sometimes even every few days. Sometimes you'll be praised, and sometimes you'll hear harsh criticism. You just have to learn to deal with it and maintain your self-belief. If you've reached a certain level, it means you've already done things right.

Well said. Can you name a player you think has a chance of making the PFA Team of the Year this season?

There are always many players like that, but one player I really like is Alex Scott from Bournemouth. Of course, as you know, big clubs always get more attention than others. But I think he had an outstanding season last year, and I believe he has the real ability to earn a spot.

To be honest, he has excellent technique. I've mentioned before that during my career, the biggest sacrifice I made to maintain the "beast mode" everyone knows about is that I can't eat Bourbon biscuits (laughs). That's my sacrifice. So for you, what do you feel is your biggest sacrifice to reach where you are today?

For me, it's more about the physical side. I have to constantly push myself to the limit because I know I'm not the strongest or the fastest player. So physically, I have to push myself to my limits all the time. At the same time, you have to understand that there will be difficult moments in matches, and at those points, you have to play with your brain.

I think when you start to feel physically uncomfortable, when you start to feel tired, you need to use your mind more. This has always been my greatest strength throughout my career. I rely heavily on how I think, and I try to make decisions slightly faster than others. Because I'm not the fastest and not the strongest, I have to anticipate what will happen next and try to do things before others know what I'm about to do. I think this has always been my most important ability, and it's what has helped me become a top-level player and reach the highest level.

You just said you're not the strongest. Actually, I could take you to the gym a couple of times (laughs). I'm just saying we could train together.

I don't mind. I really don't. People can always learn.

I like that answer. So let me ask you: when was the last time you surprised yourself on the pitch? Like when you thought, "Wow, the beast is still in me" (laughs)?

To be honest, it's been like that for me all along. When I was a kid, back then, everyone played football on the streets, and I was always the youngest in the group because my brother is five years older than me. So I used to play with him and his friends.

Because of that, I got used to losing to others early on, and I also got used to beating people stronger than me. So I was never afraid to go into a tackle or afraid of contact. But if I had to give a recent example, I think it was during training last season. I sprinted about 50 yards alongside Sesko, and of course I had about a two-step lead when I started (laughs).

He was right behind me, so I kept pushing myself to accelerate. At that point, my top speed reached 35.5 kilometers per hour. He reached around 37, almost 38 kilometers per hour. So eventually, he caught up with me. But I was very proud of myself at that moment because he's a player with a very strong physique, excellent physical attributes, and he's very fast.

But that's what I love to do. During training, I like to challenge players who I know are stronger than me in certain areas so I can test myself.

I like that. You broke the assists record and won the PFA award. Where would you rank last season among all your career seasons?

That was certainly a very special season because I broke a long-standing record. Kevin had matched that record before, so it was truly special to be able to do that. Actually, for me, when my assists reached around 14 or 15, I had already achieved my personal best for assists in a single Premier League season.

So for me, that was already a success because my goal is always to become a better version of myself, rather than trying to outdo others. Later, as I approached that record, everyone started talking about it more frequently. Of course, you see these conversations and start to pay attention.

But my goal was never to surpass Henry and De Bruyne. Assists are simply part of my game, so this record happened naturally. And of course, I'm very happy about it. If you ask me to give a specific rating for last season, I won't do that. But from my personal perspective, it was a very successful season.

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