Revealed: Bruno Fernandes's squad number
Manchester United can officially announce that our new signing Bruno Fernandes will wear the no.18 shirt.
The 25-year-old was officially unveiled as a Reds player on Thursday, signing from Sporting Lisbon, where he was club captain and wore the no.8.
Bruno also featured in the no.8 shirt for Udinese, where he spent three years between 2013 and 2016, but also wore no.7 and no.32, the latter the number he took at his first club Novara.
United’s no.18 is, of course, the squad number that legendary midfielder Paul Scholes was kitted out in for the majority of his career, and was most recently held by Ashley Young, who departed for Inter Milan this month.
Bruno is no stranger, however, to taking on the mantle of a significant shirt number.
Welcome to United, Bruno Fernandes
Watch the video that announced Bruno Fernandes's transfer to United, back on 30 January 2020...
At Sampdoria, the Portugal international chose the no.10 that was previously filled by Roberto Mancini, who guided the Genoan club to the Scudetto and the European Cup final during his time as captain.
We may see our new signing in red for the first time in Saturday’s Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
Hopefully, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will give us an idea of Bruno’s availability when he sits down in front of the press at the Aon Training Complex.
WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY WORN NO.18?
Partly due to Scholes’s longevity at Old Trafford, Bruno will be just the fifth player to adopt the no.18 at Old Trafford since squad numbers were first brought in, ahead of the 1993/94 Premier League season.
Darren Ferguson appeared in the shirt five times in that campaign, before signing for Wolves in 1994.
Winger Simon Davies then took it for two seasons, making, fittingly, 18 appearances and scoring one goal, against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
In 1996, Scholes switched from 22 to 18 and the Salford-born midfielder would then hold the number for the next 15 years, before his retirement in 2011.
By the time he returned to the Reds, six months later, Young had chosen to play in the number, with Scholes reverting back to the vacant 22.
After 261 games while at Old Trafford, Young exited earlier in January, leaving 18 free for our new man.
Reading this in our app? If not, you might miss some exclusive features not found on ManUtd.com. Download the Official App here.