3 things you probably didn’t know about Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder has turned Manchester United around since his arrival in January.
For far too many years Manchester United lacked creativity in their midfield. The problem, at the moment, seems to have solved by the arrival of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window.
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The Portuguese has singlehandedly given the side a drive it has lacked since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down from the top job at Old Trafford. He has quickly become a fan favourite and for absolutely good reason.
Seldom has a club changed so drastically by one person’s arrival but such has been his impact on the side that the United faithful wonder why he wasn’t purchased in the summer itself. Fernandes was awarded the man of the match award 5 times in his first five games and was adjugated the Premier League player of the month for February.
But for all his exploits in the Premier League recently, how much do we really know about the playmaker? Well, here’s a look at 3 things you probably didn’t know about Bruno Fernandes.
3) One Woman man
Bruno Fernandes has swooned fans with his brilliant performances on the pitch. There is nothing, the Old Trafford fans believe, that this man cannot do. Off the field, he is just as much romantic. Bruno Fernandes met Ana Pinho when they were both 16-years old and in school. Ana would go on to become his first and only girlfriend.
Fernandes moved to Italy in 2012 but had troubles adjusting to life in a new country. The playmaker asked her to move in with her and she did. This helped him with settling into his new life. The pair got married in 2015 and Ana gave birth to their daughter, Matilde in January 2017.
2) Terminated his contract with Sporting
Bruno Fernandes caught the attention of Manchester United through his exploits at Sporting Lisbon. He scored 16 goals and 12 assists in his first season and followed it up with 32 goals and 18 assists in his second, winning back to back Primera Liga player of the year awards in his two seasons with the club.
However, 2 summers back, the Portuguese cancelled his contract with the club after he and several of his teammates were subjected to violent altercation from their own fans. Around 50 fans attacked Sporting players and coaching staff after the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Naturally, this left him and several others shake. Notable names such as Rui Patricio (Wolves), William Carvalho (Real Betis) and Gelson Martins (Atletico Madrid) left the club and Fernandes tried to follow suit as well. However, club president Bruno de Carvalho’s decision to walk away as a result of the saga convinced the midfielder to rejoin.
1) Bruno Fernandes’ obsession with number 8
Bruno Fernandes wore the number 8 on his back during his time at Sporting and even has the number tattooed on his right arm along with the alphabet F. The ‘F’ represents his family name while the number 8 is a tribute to his father who used to wear the number during his playing days before giving up on the sport to provide for his family. Bruno was also born on 8th September 1994, giving the number much more significance.
Fernandes prefers to sport the number 8 on his back. However, that jersey is currently occupied by Juan Mata. Instead, the Portuguese wears the number 18, which was left vacant after Ashley Young’s departure to Inter Milan in January.
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