There was a time when Bruno Fernandes was only about the goals and the assists. It certainly wasn't a bad thing, either. He arrived at Manchester United at their time of need and completely transformed the team with his immense attacking output.
Fernandes netted 12 goals in his first 22 appearances for the club, claiming the club's Player of the Season award despite only playing for half of the season. He'd win it again the following campaign after an astronomical 28 goals from midfield, as well as 17 assists.
Last season was one to forget for both Fernandes and United. It says so much about the standards he has set that only managing 10 goals and 14 assists was seen as a significant drop-off. In a way, it was.
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The issue is that the success of his performances was frequently determined by whether he contributed a goal or not. The discussion around him was focused too heavily on what he did in front of goal, and he was too focused on it too, often adopting a selfish approach as he acted like a one-man army to win matches on his own.
It meant there were genuine concerns about Fernandes' long-term role under Erik ten Hag this season and, at first, he did look like an awkward fit, but then so did the rest of the team. Yet as they began to settle under their new manager, Fernandes began to thrive alongside fellow midfield mastermind Christian Eriksen.
There were signs of things to come, and the arrival of Casemiro proved to be the final piece of the jigsaw in establishing a midfield trio of intelligent footballers who are all on the same wavelength. United have yet to lose a match in which all three have started together.
The success of Eriksen and Casemiro has taken away the limelight from Fernandes somewhat and goes some way toward explaining why the Portuguese was not nominated for the Premier League Team of the Season this week.
Fernandes did not make the final 40-man shortlist, of which 12 players are midfielders, but the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Kai Havertz and James Maddison were picked ahead of him.
A quick glance at the stats shows that Fernandes looks to be on course for a season similar to last, widely labeled a disappointing one, with 10 goals and 13 assists to his name. He will most likely beat his tally from a year ago, but he'll be some way behind the lofty heights of his first two campaigns with the club.
Yet ask anyone who has watched United this season about their midfield magnifico and they will speak glowingly about his understated brilliance, the unsung hero of Ten Hag's triumphant teams.
The 28-year-old has not only relished the responsibility of captaining his side for most of the campaign, but he has also shown great adaptability and selflessness by filling in wherever he has been needed.
Most of his appearances have come in his favoured attacking midfield role, though he has now started six matches on the right wing as well as six in a deeper central midfield role as well. There have also been games where he has drifted over to the left and others where he has pushed up to supplement the attack. If he were asked to don the gloves in goal, you sense he'd probably do that with a smile on his face as well.
The biggest change is that Fernandes is now a team player. He has already proven himself in English football and no longer has to grab the headlines every week. He is getting just as much value from doing the dirty work for his side.
He is no longer their only creative outlet in midfield, and without as much pressure on his shoulders, his performance levels have actually improved. If he had an elite centre-forward playing in front of him then those assist numbers could almost be doubled.
United's approach under Ten Hag has also suited him perfectly. Alongside the presence of other world-class playmakers, his ingenuity allows him to shine as the more direct threat who is more willing to take calculated risks in the final third.
There was a time when Fernandes was the only United player grabbing the headlines, and the fact that he is now being overlooked is a compliment to the overall improvements around him.
He might not have been nominated for Team of the Season, but he'd be one of the first names in United's.
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