Bruno Fernandes

Written by Nuno Travassos, Catarina Pereira and Luís Mateus for A Bola:

Born in Maia, half an hour from Porto by car, Bruno Fernandes started out in the youth team at lower-league club Infesta before he was discovered by Boavista at the age of 10. Seven years later he was off to Italy and Serie B Novara for about €40,000. It was an all or nothing move which has prepared him for the rest of his career, as he has admitted since. Jumped from Novara to Udinese, and from Udinese to Sporting, with a loan to Sampdoria in between, becoming the Portuguese Lions’ captain and best player. At Manchester United he quickly emerged as a  leader, even before taking the armband, his impressive performances dragging the team up through difficult times. His furious outbursts on the field have earned him a lot of criticism, but explained in an interview with A Bola that they are a product of his search for perfection in himself and his teammates: “Intense players are hard to understand,” he said. Has evolved since the World Cup to become one of the big leaders in Roberto Martínez’s side and has excelled as a playmaker in the No 8 role.