Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United once had a midfielder who was even smarter than Paul Scholes

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Bruno Fernandes has been building what he believes to be the ultimate Manchester United player made up of a number of different attributes.

Fernandes recently named Cristiano Ronaldo as his greatest teammate ever, so, inevitably, Ronaldo got a mention here.

Meanwhile, Fernandes also gave Angel Di Maria a special mention for his left foot.

However, Fernandes’ most interesting claim perhaps came when he was asked to name the Manchester United player from history who he believes to have the greatest footballing mind.

Paul Scholes was a genius of a midfielder during his time at United, but according to Fernandes, United had another midfielder around that time who was even smarter.

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Bruno Fernandes picks Michael Carrick for his footballing IQ

Speaking to TNT Sports, Fernandes built his ultimate Manchester United player.

When it came to footballing IQ, there were a few players that Fernandes could’ve picked.

However, the Portugal star actually went for Michael Carrick’s footballing brain, picking Carrick ahead of the likes of Scholes or Rio Ferdinand.

Carrick was an underrated player in his prime, but Fernandes seems to really appreciate his abilities.

Fernandes made a few other interesting claims when building his perfect player.

Michael Carrick’s accomplishments for Manchester United

Michael Carrick may well be one of the most underappreciated players in Manchester United’s history.

Indeed, while many of Carrick’s midfield compatriots earned a lot of praise such as Scholes and Paul Pogba, Carrick quietly went about his business in exemplary fashion.

Carrick may not have as many highlight-reel moments as some of his contemporaries, but his CV and trophy haul just goes to show how brilliant he was.

Whether or not Carrick is the smartest player to ever play for Manchester United is up for debate, but what can’t be questioned is just how important a figure in the club’s modern history the midfielder is.

Fernandes hailed Carrick for his footballing brain, and it’s fair to say that he did deserve a lot of credit for his ability to read the game and dictate the tempo of any match.