Yahoo News Bruno Fernandes: Cristiano Ronaldo changed my perception of Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes has revealed his perception of Manchester United changed when Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club.
Ronaldo joined 17 years ago in 2003; Fernandes was just eight-years-old at the time.
It’s a saying that’s all too familiar: “It’s been a dream to join [insert generic football team name] since I was a child.” But perhaps in Fernandes’ case, it’s really true.
Speaking in a Q&A with United's official website, Fernandes revealed he started watching United for the Portuguese idol but was instantly mesmerised by the abundance of talent on show.
Fernandes said: “For me, ever since I was a kid, it was a dream playing for Manchester United.
“United was and is one of the biggest clubs in the world. You look in the past and when I’m younger, you look at the players who play for Manchester United and you see the biggest stars in the world.
“I looked at Manchester with more interest when Cristiano was here because it’s normal when you have Portuguese players in some teams, you look at them more than other teams.
“But at that moment, I started to look at Manchester in a different way because you see Cristiano but then you see also the team and you have Paul Scholes, you have [Wayne] Rooney, you have [Ryan] Giggs and you have Roy Keane, [Eric] Cantona before.
“You have a lot of players… I don’t know… [Ruud] van Nistelrooy… I can stay here for hours saying all the names of players for Manchester United. Also Nani, who’s played with me.”
Fernandes instantly made an impression upon his January move, scoring three goals in nine games and playing a major role in United’s run of 11 games undefeated.
The midfielder admits it was a big step to make but certainly believes it was the right choice.
He said: “[Joining] Manchester United was so easy because since I was a kid, it was a dream, so for me, doing this step, a big step to the Premier League to Manchester United was perfect.”
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