Bruno Fernandes has revealed his deep respect for some Premier League rivals and other players from across Europe he has faced and managed to swap shirts with.
In his exclusive interview with Inside United, the official club magazine, our no.8 namechecked a number of top-flight peers, expressing his admiration for their work as the reason why he is keen to obtain their jerseys.
Arsenal pair Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, Tottenham Hotspur skipper Son Heung-min and Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer all feature, in addition to many of his fellow Portuguese who ply their trade in England.
Bruno also reveals shirts he obtained during his time in Serie A and also those participating in European competition.
“Yeah, I do,
“ he replied. ”
I have the first shirt of every first game that I do for every team that I’ve played for. Then I have the first shirt that I have been captain for the club. And the first shirt that I have been official as [permanent] captain. Then I have the first time I played in the Champions League. And then I have players’ ones and I have many.
“Ones from my mates, the Portuguese ones, from, I don’t know, [Joao] Cancelo, Bernardo [Silva], many others, Matheus Nunes from [Manchester] City. All of them, the ones from Wolves, I think I could make an XI with all the Wolves shirts! I have [Diogo] Jota’s from Liverpool and then, I think the most people would say, the most nice one I have is [Andres] Iniesta. That is one of the most special ones for me.
”I have a Cristiano [Ronaldo] one from the national team, when he scored a hat-trick against Lithuania. I got the shirt from him from that game. I have a [Lionel] Messi one, when I played against him in the Champions League for Sporting. From Italy, I have some – [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Gianluigi] Buffon. I have a [Edinson] Cavani one from Uruguay. I have [Paulo] Dybala’s. I have [Gonzalo] Higuain, I have more. I have a lot of shirts!”
When it comes to other Premier League stars, Bruno's respect for his peers, regardless of their club affiliation, shone through.
It is clear he appreciates others trying to shine in the English top-flight, particularly those who perform in midfield, and he will not be afraid to ask for opponents' shirts in the future to bolster his impressive collection further.
“I have De Bruyne’s, for example,”
he continued. “He is someone that I’ve always really liked and respect a lot for what he has done in football. Martin Odegaard also, I also exchanged with both of them. I have exchanged the shirts with players that play in my position, that I really like, and I really think that they are top-class players, like Cole Palmer, I have his shirt also.
”I don’t know if there’s anyone but I wouldn’t mind asking them if I do think so. Declan Rice, when he was still at West Ham. He asked me, at the time, when we swapped because I know he does have a big collection. I also have a Son one from Tottenham.“
There remains a big regret for Fernandes. As he has previously noted, Italy great Andrea Pirlo remains the one who got away, because our Portuguese magnifico was too nervous to approach the peerless playmaker.
“The only one that I really, really regret not asking for was Andrea Pirlo,”
he conceded. “He was one of my favourite ones growing up, him and Iniesta, but I have never been brave enough to ask him.
”So, at the time, I was too shy for that. I did get a chance to speak to him, in Turin, when he was [Juventus] manager and we went there with the national team to have a camp there. I had a chance to speak with him and chat and it was very, very good.
“I had the time to stay there and exchange some words with someone that I always looked up to and I even said to him if, for any chance, you have a shirt at home that you don’t need or is there just for no reason, could you just remember me and, if you want, you can send it to the Portuguese camp.
”He never did it! Now I think it is obviously the only one I regret not asking for.“