Bruno Fernandes has said the shooting lessons learned from Antonio Di Natale at Udinese still shape performances for Manchester United and Portugal. The midfielder linked that guidance to being named Premier League Player of the Season for 2025-26, highlighting how work in Italy continues to influence decision-making in key attacking moments.

Fernandes spent three campaigns with Udinese between 2013-14 and 2015-16, then joined Sampdoria before heading back to Portugal with Sporting CP. Across 86 Serie A matches for Udinese, Fernandes scored 10 goals and supplied 11 assists. During that spell, Di Natale was the club’s leading figure in attack and an important reference for younger players.

Di Natale joined Udinese from Empoli in 2004 and stayed for most of a long career in Serie A. The forward struck 209 goals in 445 league games, ranking sixth in Serie A history behind Silvio Piola, Francesco Totti, Gunnar Nordahl, Jose Altafini and Giuseppe Meazza. Fernandes viewed that scoring record as proof Di Natale was an ideal mentor.

Fernandes described his early period in Italy as a demanding adjustment, after signing from the Italian second division for a 5m fee. The midfielder arrived expecting immediate minutes and said that feeling changed after several months. Instead, Fernandes experienced a year and four months focused on training, with limited playing time and daily physical and tactical work.

During that phase at Udinese, Fernandes worked closely with two specialist technical coaches in extra sessions. Those coaches concentrated on first touch, passing choices and shooting actions, aiming to raise Fernandes’ level. Fernandes also leaned on Di Natale, who explained how to strike the ball, angle the body, measure the last steps and read goalkeeper positioning before attempting shots from different areas.

Speaking about the wider process, Fernandes told ESPN that natural skill alone was not enough. Fernandes said: “I think that, obviously, it’s work, it’s training, and also something that has been born with me a bit since my childhood, which has always been one of my attributes, the pass and the shot. But with that came a lot of work.”

Fernandes recalled how his mindset changed after the initial excitement of the transfer to Udinese. The midfielder said that the 5m fee felt significant at the time and brought expectations. Fernandes remembered arriving in Serie A thinking, “I was signed for 5m, which at the time was a lot of money, I’m going to play.” That forecast soon gave way to extra hours on the training pitch.

Udinese staff asked Fernandes to focus on repetition rather than immediate reward, which shaped the shooting style seen now at Manchester United. Fernandes explained that Di Natale highlighted details such as body balance, follow-through and awareness of defenders when lining up efforts from distance or in the area. Those habits later supported Fernandes’ influence as captain at Old Trafford.

Statistically, the contrast between Fernandes and Di Natale in Serie A underlines how much experience the younger midfielder could draw upon at Udinese.

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Di Natale’s 209 Serie A goals placed the forward behind only Piola with 274, Totti with 250, Nordahl with 225, and the pair Altafini and Meazza on 216. Fernandes, in comparison, used the Italian stage mainly as a development period before later peak seasons in Portugal and the Premier League, where creativity and finishing improved.

Fernandes recently discussed the mental side of scoring during an interview, linking it to the shooting drills and advice from Udinese years. When asked by ESPN about the reasons behind current form, Fernandes answered: “It’s about not thinking too much,” describing a preference for instinctive decisions in the final third.

That approach has been clear with Portugal, where Fernandes continues to contribute goals and assists from midfield.

Fernandes is currently in camp with Portugal as the squad prepares to meet Nigeria in a friendly on Wednesday. The fixture comes before Portugal face DR Congo in a World Cup opener on June 17. For Fernandes, the international schedule offers another stage to apply finishing skills first refined during challenging seasons at Udinese.