Bruno Fernandes is pleased to be following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United but says it is his intention to write “different history” to that of an iconic fellow Portuguese.
The 25-year-old midfielder has become the latest big-money addition at Old Trafford.
He, like Ronaldo before him, has ended up in England after catching the Red Devils’ eye while on the books of Sporting.
Much is expected of him in the Premier League, with a £47 million ($60m) price tag around his neck, while links to a five-time Ballon d’Or winner will never be far away.
Fernandes is aware of that but plans to embrace the opportunity presented to him.
He told the Red Devils’ official website: “I saw many games in Portugal because they show the games there and I followed Manchester United more when Cristiano was here.
“He’s a big player and I see him as an idol and I want to be in the form like Cristiano showed.”
Quizzed further on his memories of Ronaldo in England and the pressure he now finds himself under to make a similar impact, Fernandes added: “Sporting had a friendly match against Manchester [United] and he played really well like he does always and of course the fans were excited about him.
“Now I want to write my history, different to Cristiano because he is the best player in the world.
“He has played 15 years at the top and it’s difficult to do this, but I want to give my best to write my name in the history of Manchester United.”
Getty ImagesFernandes admits to having spoken to Ronaldo – his captain at international level – about a move to the Premier League.
He said: “Yes, I talked about Manchester United with Cristiano. He just said good things about United.
“He said he started living his dream here and he started being a really good player here. I think he is happy with my transfer and I also talked with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] and he said he asked Cristiano about me and he said good things about me which is good.
“Cristiano plays with me in the national team and he knows me, and for me he’s a good person. I want to follow his steps.”
Fernandes is also treading a similar path to another compatriot, Nani, in having traded life at Sporting for that at the Theatre of Dreams.
He got the chance to play alongside the former United winger when he returned to his roots in 2018, with Fernandes saying of that experience: “I have had the opportunity to play with big players who do big things in the Premier League and other championships and I’m very happy to learn from them, and Nani is no exception.
“I played with him, he was my captain at Sporting and I learnt some things from him. He sent me a message the other day and said he was very happy for me with my move.”