Fernandes card games, Rashford's return and 80,000 at Croke Park: inside Man United's final pre-season week

Manchester United’s pre-season had been a quiet affair through Scandinavia, but the final week — taking in Dublin and Wroclaw — restored the sense of scale that surrounds one of football’s biggest clubs.

After low-key stops in Helsinki, Trondheim, Stockholm and Gothenburg, United arrived at their Carton House base in County Kildare to find supporters lining the path from hotel to training pitches every day, seeking selfies and autographs. The contrast with the sparse receptions at earlier tour stops was stark.

The energy shift coincided with the full squad finally being assembled. Marcus Rashford received a warm welcome on Sunday, Lisandro Martinez checked in on Monday, and Bruno Fernandes — whose return the group had been most eagerly awaiting — brought the card games with him. Fernandes has taken on the role of host for Werewolf, a game based on The Traitors, and the squad played it every night at Carton House. Goalkeeper coach Dermot Mee mentioned it in the mixed zone, and a video of the squad’s animated reaction during one session went viral. Players and staff credited the nightly sessions with genuinely bringing the group closer together.

Off the pitch, a couple of rounds of golf on Carton House’s courses provided further downtime, while the table tennis table saw heavy use. Fernandes, Luke Shaw and young goalkeeper Shea Lacey were identified as the standout players.

The highlight of the Irish leg was the fixture against Leeds United at Croke Park, where more than 80,000 supporters attended — a sight those present are unlikely to forget, even if the game itself was flat.

The week also marked the first substantive involvement of Amazon’s documentary crew, who filmed in the dressing room at both games and spent time around Carton House. The production staff, many from non-football backgrounds, have built a rapport with key figures at the club. They were present for the chaotic end to the Croke Park match, which was cut short after a series of young pitch invaders ran onto the field. PA announcements failed to fully stem the tide, and one United security guard resorted to a rugby tackle to stop another incursion.