McClaren served as assistant to Erik ten Hag at United from the summer of 2022 until the end of the 2023/24 season, departing of his own accord three months before Ten Hag was dismissed.
The pair won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup in successive seasons before their tenures at the club ended. Speaking to The Athletic, McClaren opened up on his relationship with the squad and singled out Fernandes for particular praise — and for one specific flashpoint.
"We only clashed once. He didn't clap the fans, so we had a bit of a row about that. I think it was Newcastle's win, 3-0 at Old Trafford in November 2023. I was more upset with the team and the players. It was bad, but the next day we kissed and made up. He is excellent with fans 99 per cent of the time."
The incident aside, McClaren's assessment of Fernandes was glowing throughout the interview.
"I remember his first game at Old Trafford, he picked out long balls and diagonals. I thought: missing link. He wants to do everything. He's really one of the top five players I've coached."
He was effusive about what he witnessed in training.
"He's got scrolls of vision. I've seen things in training, you go: wow. His attitude, his professionalism is first class. He's first in, last away. Last on the pitch, doing shooting, practising all day to be better. His personality is great. At times, emotional."
McClaren drew a comparison between Fernandes and Roy Keane — the United captain he coached under Sir Alex Ferguson during his first stint at the club from 1999 to 2001 — arguing that the emotional volatility that sometimes draws criticism is precisely what makes both players exceptional.
"We had one spell when we said to Roy: you've got to calm down a bit. Because it was beginning to be a problem. Through the trouble he got into, he used to miss five or six games a season. He tried to calm down, and he was rubbish. So we said: forget that, be yourself, it's all right, we'll miss you for five games, don't want you to be a pussycat on the field."
"And Bruno is the same. When I used to have to be the referee in training, he's a nightmare. It's just passion. He's fit, he runs around, he scores, he assists, his numbers are phenomenal."
Fernandes has this season produced one of the most productive campaigns of his United career, contributing eight goals and 19 assists as Michael Carrick's side push for a Champions League return.