Alvaro Fernandez proving Manchester United credentials and ready to pose Erik Ten Hag a question

Manchester United defender Alvaro Fernandez says he will return to the Red Devils on the back of a 'perfect' season out on loan.

The young Spaniard has spent the full campaign with Championship side Preston North End - who still have an outside chance of making the play-offs with two games to go. Fernandez has been a regular for the Lilywhites all season, with his dynamism and flair down the left flank making him a fan favourite at Deepdale.

Fernandez has registered six assists in his 40 appearances for PNE, with manager Ryan Lowe trusting the youngster while rotating him and senior head Robbie Brady over the course of the season. The ex-Real Madrid man is dreaming of a goal before he heads back to Old Trafford, but only has good things to say about his beneficial spell.

Also read: Reactions before and after Lindelof's kick show what it means to Fernandes and Weghorst

"I had a good start when I made two assists against Huddersfield," Fernandez told LancsLive. "I then became injured, but (the fans) seemed to love me! When you work, you need that motivation and to start with those two assists - it was a good start. I was injured for one month after that, but from there I took big motivation.

"It's been a good season for me - I have taken the experience that I wanted right at the beginning, with 39 (now 40) appearances in total. It's been the perfect season for me, I think. We have a very good squad and everyone is close in the changing room - it's a good feeling. We have no problems inside and we know what we want."

Preston supporters would love Fernandez to return to Deepdale for another year, but the defender's future is unknown at this stage. He will always hold PNE close to his heart - as his first loan club in