Bruno's connection to no.8

Fernandes wore the number eight at club level during his three years at Sporting in Portugal, and previously at Udinese, before his move to United in January 2020.

Since his arrival at Old Trafford, the Portuguese star has donned the no.18 shirt for the Reds, establishing himself as a fan favourite in the process.

But following the summer departure of Juan Mata, the shirt's previous owner, Bruno’s favourite number became up for grabs.

After claiming the iconic digit, often worn by midfielders, prior to the start of the 2022/23 season, the 27-year-old revealed just how significant the number eight is to him.

“That shirt means a lot [to me]” he said to MUTV. “There is a history behind that [number] because my father, when he used to be a player, he was playing with a number eight.

“He quit from football because he had an offer from work, and obviously at that time for me and my brothers and for all the family it was better that he had proper work than [to] keep playing football.”

Bruno appreciates the sacrifice that his father made for him to achieve his goals of being a footballer, and believes that in wearing the number that he did, he carries on his legacy.

“[The number eight] is the number he was using for two years,” he said. “Because it was also his dream [to be a footballer], it makes my dream a little bit of him.”

Fernandes has a close bond with his parents, and also revealed that his ‘BF8' tattoo on his arm actually honours them.

“The B is the last name of my mum, Borges, and the F is the last name of my father, Fernandes,” he explained.

"The eight is the day of my birthday! So this number eight says a lot about me, says a lot about my family, says a lot about my past and that's why I like to use [it]. And that's why it's my preferred number."