Graeme Souness names two of Man Utd's Premier League rivals that would get the best out of Bruno Fernandes

Graeme Souness believes Bruno Fernandes would thrive at one of Manchester City or Liverpool - but not as a captain.

Fernandes has divided opinion since taking the United captaincy on a permanent basis, following Erik ten Hag's decision to strip Harry Maguire of the armband. The Portuguese midfielder often led his side out last season, including in the successful Carabao Cup final, with Maguire dropped to the bench for much of the campaign.

Fernandes has often stepped up to provide in the biggest moments as a captain, including winning goals against the likes of Burnley and Fulham. But criticism has been common with regards to what is perceived as a poor attitude, particularly when his side are losing or playing poorly.

“He is a player," Souness told talkSPORT of Fernandes. "I don’t think he’s a captain. In terms of quality if he played for Liverpool or if he played for City he would be a fantastic player. We would not be having this conversation. All this, shaking the head is majorly disappointing.

"He wouldn’t be losing as many games [at Liverpool or City] and he wouldn’t be so frustrated. But I accept his body language isn’t great at times and I was majorly disappointed of him in the 7-0 defeat at Anfield last year when he just stopped running back.”

Fernandes came in for heavy criticism after that 7-0 humiliation at Anfield, with Roy Keane particularly scathing in his assessment. The former United captain labelled Fernandes 'disgraceful' and has since echoed his belief that the midfielder should not be club captain.

Fernandes has often been forced to defend his actions on the pitch, admitting in November that while his body language isn't always perfect, his teammates and manager are happy with his way of leading the team through what has been an incredibly difficult spell.

Ten Hag has never wavered from his decision to hand Fernandes the armband on a permanent basis, often pointing to the midfielder's in-game moments of brilliance as evidence of his leadership.