Ian Wright told Roy Keane 'not to go there' after Luke Littler said that Bruno Fernandes was his favourite Manchester United player, with the former Red Devils star criticising the club's captain a few weeks ago.
The 18-year-old, who became PDC World Champion in January, discussed his career on the Stick To Football podcast.
Littler is a well-known Manchester United supporter who paraded his World Championship trophy around Old Trafford earlier this year following his remarkable triumph over Michael van Gerwen.
During the podcast, Littler was asked to name his favourite player from the current Red Devils squad.
Ian Wright told Roy Keane 'not to go there' after Luke Littler said that Bruno Fernandes was his favourite Manchester United player, with the former Red Devils star criticising the club's captain a few weeks ago
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Jamie Carragher suggested Fernandes, to which Littler nodded in agreement.
"Since he's joined, there's not a No 8 better," the young darts champion said.
This prompted an immediate reaction from Keane, who has been critical of the Portuguese midfielder.
"As a player, yeah. But as a captain..." Keane interjected.
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The comment caused laughter among the panel, with Wright quickly telling Keane: "Leave it Roy, let's not go there."
Keane's reaction follows his explosive criticism of United players last month, where he branded the team "f*****g imposters" after a disappointing season.
The former United captain specifically targeted Fernandes, claiming the Portuguese midfielder "pretended" to close players down.
Keane also stated that Fernandes was not captain material, sparking a clash with Wright during the rant.
Fans described Keane's outburst as his most "explosive" yet, with the Irishman refusing to back down or mince his words.
Fernandes was asked about the criticism he received last month, with the playmaker enjoying a fine individual campaign despite United's issues.
In the Premier League alone, he has bagged eight goals and registered nine assists from 29 matches.
Fernandes, when asked directly about Keane's astonishing rant, said: "I think both [it hurts and motivates him]. Obviously it's not nice to hear bad things about you, I think no one likes it.
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"But at the same time, it motivates and it makes you feel that obviously there's a lot of things that people think you have to improve.
"You have to take it in a positive way, understanding that whatever people are saying, if there is a margin to improve or not.
"Obviously I know you're talking about Roy Keane, I've said it before, I have a huge respect for Roy Keane. I think he was one of the best captains at the club, an amazing player for the club, won basically everything for this club.
Roy Keane has been critical of Bruno Fernandes amid Manchester United's dire season so far
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"So it's the way he thinks, it's the idea he has about me as a player, as a captain and I have to respect that. Obviously I do the things in my own way to try to be the best, not captain, but person and teammate as I can.
"I do it everyday, I try to be an example in everything I do in the training sessions, on the pitch, in everything I do. But obviously not everyone will like [it], not everyone will think in the same way, and I respect every opinion of everyone.
"And as I said, I have huge respect for Roy Keane and obviously that there's a lot of margin for improvement in my game, in my leadership, in everything I do, even in my own life."
