Bruno Fernandes backs Mason Greenwood to play ‘important’ role for Manchester United

Greenwood scored Man Utd’s winning goal against Brighton at the weekend

Greenwood scored Man Utd’s winner on Sunday (Getty Images)

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes insists it “does not matter” how many goals Mason Greenwood scores as long as he is contributing to the team.

Greenwood, 19, scored the winner for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as they came from behind to beat Brighton on Sunday evening.

It was the Englishman’s sixth goal of the campaign, but Fernandes feels the teenager offers a lot more to the side than just his finishing.

“Everyone has to know that Mason is a young player and now everyone is starting to know how Mason is, it will become more and more difficult for him,” the Portuguese talisman told MUTV after the game.

“It is normal. It is part of the development for him and he will learn from here so it doesn’t matter how many goals he scores; the most important thing for us is that he still helps the team and he is doing his best.

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“It is important for us as a team, it doesn’t matter who scores. If Mason scores for us or not, it is important if he can do other jobs, recover balls, pressing, defend when we need it, make assists, create danger.

“So it is not important for him to score. He has to understand, he is such a young lad. Of course, every striker wants to score but, anyway, he will score more and more goals as the seasons pass.”

Greenwood’s goalscoring form has tailed off somewhat in the 2020-21 campaign after he netted 17 times in 49 games for the Red Devils last season.

But his strike against Brighton will have given him a much-needed confidence boost as he looks to finish the season strongly and force his way into Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad.

United moved four points clear of Leicester in the Premier League table yesterday, taking a firm grip of second place.

Next up for Solskjaer’s men is a trip to Spain to take on Granada in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday, before returning to domestic action against Spurs at the weekend.