Michael Carrick led the tributes to Bruno Fernandes after the Manchester United captain equalled the Premier League record with his 20th assist of the season.
Fernandes has matched the leading tallies of Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry and his manager said: “I think he has dealt with it really well. You are watching on and thinking what’s going through his head. The way he did it was a really nice moment for everybody. Credit to him for that. He always puts the team first – it is a fantastic achievement.”
And after setting up what turned out to be the decisive Bryan Mbeumo goal in the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, Fernandes thanked his teammates and then set his sights on taking sole ownership of the record.
He said: “I spoke about it and everybody knew it was important. They’ve been trying to score from my passes. I’m very happy for the assist and for the win and to finish the season on a high.
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“I got to 20 today – let’s see, we have one more game. It’s the highest I’ve done in the Premier League so I am very happy with it.”
The United victory meant a third place Premier League finish is guaranteed and Carrick is expected to sign a two-year deal in the coming days to confirm his long-term appointment. He said: “It (the contract situation) has been pretty clear. It is the same, over the coming days there will be clarity in the situation.
“Whatever the news is going to be, you’re going to get it soon.”
And Carrick was delighted with a thrilling victory that means he has won 11 of his 16 matches in charge this season.
View 2 ImagesManchester United clinched third place with their 3-2 win(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
He said: “It was a good day. I think we were really conscious of trying to finish on a bit of a high. I think we’ve made some really good strides as a group, as a team and as a club. It’s easy to get to this stage and that extra spark’s not there. So I think to finish like we did for so many reasons was a good day for us, yeah.”
The win also marked Casemiro’s final appearance at Old Trafford after four years.
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The emotional Brazilian addressed the crowd at the end of the match, saying: “Thank you to the players, the staff, thank you everyone. But the best thing at this club is you fans. Thank you.”
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