United have a chance to rescue silverware from their worst domestic campaign for over 50 years in the European showpiece against Premier League rivals Tottenham and Fernandes believes that success in Bilbao on Wednesday (21.05.25) could be transformative for the club.

The Red Devils captain said: "It won't affect what the past has done to us, but what it can affect is the future.

"Winning a competition gives you a lot of things. In this case you get a place in the Champions League and a lot of revenue for the club.

"It gets more players wanting to come to the club, but at this club it doesn't change that much in this aspect as every player wants to play for this club.

"We need to focus on the opportunity."

Fernandes has lifted two trophies since joining United five years but claims that the club can only consider themselves back at the top once they are competing for the biggest prizes at home and on the continent.

The midfielder said: "We want to be at the top of everything, not only the Europa League, not only the Premier League, we want to be at the top of the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, everything we are involved in.

"This club needs to be fighting for everything we have ahead of us. Obviously, knowing that it's not always possible to be in the finals, it's not always possible to be winning trophies, but our aim and our goal has to be always to be until the end of the competitions fighting for the possibility of winning trophies and that's what we want.

"We have a big chance in a competition where our aim since the beginning of the season was being in Bilbao in the final. A big final and a big opportunity."