Bruno Fernandes reveals journey from childhood love of Manchester United to tears of joy over transfer

Matt Davies1 October 2020

Bruno Fernandes has revealed he cried tears of joy after signing for Manchester United, in which he fulfilled a dream stretching back to his early childhood.

The Portugal international completed a big-money move to Old Trafford in January, immediately becoming a central figure in the team and a fan-favourite off the pitch, his emphatic tally now standing at 13 goals and 10 assists in 25 games.

Fernandes has often spoken of his long-term attachment to the club, largely ignited by his idol and now international team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who arguably goes down as the greatest United player of all time.

In an in-depth biography of his rise to the top in The Players' Tribune, Fernandes recalls a particular childhood Christmas in which his affinity for United was already clear.

"One Christmas, my brother and I went to Switzerland to stay with my dad," he explained. "He was living there for work at the time. This was before the Internet made it so easy to buy kits from all over the world.

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"In Portugal, you couldn’t always find Premier League kits, and if you could, they were really expensive. So one day, we went into a Nike shop and our dad let us pick out two jackets.

"This was a big decision, you know? My brother chose a yellow Barcelona one because of Messi. And for me … well, I am proud to say that even back then I was a man of sophistication.

"I chose Man United, of course."

While many players often regurgitate the familiar line of, "it's a childhood dream come true" when signing for a new club, it appears that is really is the case for Fernandes.

The 26-year-old, who was told to focus on his studies by teachers who insisted football was an unrealistic goal, has now opened up on the array of emotions he felt after learning the deal was definitely on.

"When I found out from my agent that it was really going to happen, obviously my mind went back to that day in Switzerland, picking out the jackets with my brother," he recalled.

"But there were so many steps along the way that nobody understands — so many difficult moments that only my family experienced with me.

"When I knew for sure that the deal was happening, the first thing I did was tell my wife and daughter the news, and I couldn’t help it … I just started crying.

"Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of memories."

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