Bruno Fernandes and David de Gea were all smiles when the Manchester United captain wished the Spaniard a happy birthday online.

Last year’s Premier League Golden Glove winner is still a free agent, so he celebrated his 33rd birthday away from his Manchester United teammates for the first time in 12 years on Tuesday. That didn’t stop well wishes from pouring in online, with current Red Devils captain Fernandes among them.

The Portuguese wrote on Instagram in Spanish: “Happy birthday brother. I love you”. De Gea retweeted the tale, adding the words “Captain” at the end.

It’s not the pair’s first social media engagement in recent days. After his subsequent winner secured a much-needed victory against Fulham on Saturday, the Spanish shot stopper took to the same platform to make a scathing “not the right captain” joke in Fernandes’ direction.

Rumours abound that the 33-year-old is set to return to United, especially given Andre Onana’s upcoming AFCON campaign, but no solid offer has yet to materialize.