BRUNO FERNANDES revealed that he was once so broke while pursuing his football dream that his wife used to pay for dates.
The Portuguese midfielder, 29, is now captain of Manchester United and pockets £240,000 a week at Old Trafford.
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As he prepares to lead the Red Devils into tomorrow’s FA Cup final against neighbors City, the star has penned an open letter to fans on The Players’ Tribune.
Fernandes recalled the difficulties of trying to become a football player after leaving his homeland and going to Italy in 2012, at a young age.
After struggles at Novara and then Udinese, an impressive one-season spell at Sampdoria led Sporting Lisbon to transfer him to bring him back to Portugal in 2017.
That’s when his career took off – and United made a £55m move for him in January 2020.
But despite all the problems he faced, the beautiful Ana has been by his side as his biggest supporter since they started dating.
And sometimes she even financed their relationship by refereeing futsal matches to get money to pay for trips to the cinema.
Fernandes said: “Ana has been with me on this trip since she was 16, 17, 18 years old.
“We met when we were teenagers and when we started dating I wasn’t earning any money as a football player and she had a good job working as a futsal referee on the weekends.
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“She played three or four games in a row on Saturday, and we always went to the cinema on Sundays.
“I personally didn’t have much money at the time, so it was Ana who had to pay for our cinema tickets. The same goes for going out to dinner. Even at the pizzeria she had to pay.”
Fernandes continued: “When I moved to Italy at 17, I lived at the training camp for the first year, and then she followed me at 18 when she finished high school.
“From day one, we pursued this dream together.
He revealed how she reassured him as he cried after being released by Udinese and reassured him to continue pursuing his dream.
Fernandes then explained how he hung up the phone after completing his move to United and hugged Ana as he burst into tears of joy.
He added: “Look where we are now…. Hard times never broke us.”
Fernandes and his childhood sweetheart Ana got married in 2015 and have two children together, daughter Matilde, seven years old, and Gonçalo, four.
However, during the same article he dropped a huge hint that he could leave United amid the club’s turmoil.
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MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest offers and rumors from Old Trafford
SunSport exclusively revealed that Fernandes is considering a summer move after four and a half seasons this summer.
He recently said he will think about his future after this summer’s European Championships to spark speculation.
Now he says the club’s standards must be much higher for it to remain.
Fernandes, who has lifted just one trophy since joining United, wrote: “I just want my expectations to match the club’s expectations.
“If you talk to any fan, they will say the same thing. We want to compete for the championship.
“We want to play football in the Champions League. We want to be in the cup finals. This is the default.
“That’s what I want. That’s what you all deserve.”
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SunSport’s verdict on Man Utd’s failures
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have a busy summer ahead of them to get the Man Utd squad in order for next season. Below, SunSport gives their verdict on how they should deal with the Red Devils’ failures this summer.
André Onana – STAY: After a dubious start at Old Trafford, Onana has proven to be one of the most reliable members of the squad this season despite being constantly bombarded with shots.
Altay Bayindir – GO: Reports in February suggested that Bayindir was unhappy with his small role at Man Utd amid interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray. If it is possible to make a profit from a sale, then it should be done.
Tom Heaton – STAY: Veteran goalkeeper Heaton, 38, is a reliable backup and earns a relatively small salary at the club. As long as he’s happy, it makes sense to keep him.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – GO: Wan-Bissaka, 26, has never been able to take on the right-back position. With his contract ending in 2025, it makes sense to cash in now.
Diogo Dalot – STAY: Dalot, 26, has been one of Man Utd’s most consistent players this season.
Rafael Varane – GO: If it weren’t for his injury history, there would be a strong case to keep Varane, but costs need to be cut to allow the team to recover.
Harry Maguire – GO: Maguire has shown he has the right character to be at Man Utd, but overall ability and desired profile is another matter, with Maguire too slow to play in a high back line.
Lisandro Martinez – STAY: Martinez, 26, is unparalleled in terms of playmaking. He needs a long-term defensive partner on the right side and to eliminate the injuries that have plagued him this season.
Jonny Evans-GO: Veteran activist Evans could easily be on the stay list if he was just a small participant. But he has shown his advanced age a few times this season.
Victor Lindelof – GO: Lindelof, 29, has been reliable, if not unremarkable, in his Man Utd career. He has a year left on his contract so should move on if a decent transfer fee can be obtained for him.
Willy Kambwala – STAY: He should be given the opportunity to mature for a few years behind a senior CB pairing before breaking into the starting lineup as a starter or being transferred.
Luke Shaw-GO: One of the best left-backs in the Premier League when fit, Shaw has been a good servant when available. But unfortunately, that was his Achilles heel once again this season.
Tyrell Malacia – STAY: Malacia, 24, was decent enough to earn some merit in his first season at Man Utd before injury ended his season and inadvertently led to the cancellation of his second season.
Sofyan Amrabat – GO: Amrabat, 27, looked like a world champion at the Qatar World Cup with Morocco. But he has had a dismal season in England and his loan spell will almost certainly not become permanent.
Casemiro-GO: An alarming physical decline saw him go from key star to burden. If a club is willing to buy the 32-year-old – who has two years left on his contract – United would be expected to pull out.
Christian Eriksen – GO: Eriksen proved to be a useful asset and Ineos should look to bring in another player with similar characteristics, but frankly his legs seemed to have disappeared towards the end of this season.
Kobbie Mainoo – STAY: The first of the so-called untouchables, Mainoo has been a rare ray of hope in the Red Devils’ midfield this season.
Mason Assembly – STAY: Mount could be given the benefit of the doubt until the summer of 2025, at least after an injury-plagued debut season.
Scott McTominay – STAY: McTominay, 27, has proven to be a brilliant plan B off the bench this season, which is exactly why Ineos should look to keep him.
Bruno Fernandes – STAY: Man Utd’s best player since his arrival just over four years ago, Fernandes, 29, remains unrivaled when it comes to creating chances, while his tenacity galvanizes those around him.
Antonio – GO: There is reason to argue that Antony could be the worst pound-for-pound signing in Premier League history. Despite some memorable moments, he simply doesn’t have the quality of Man Utd.
Antônio Marcial – GO: Ultimately, Martial needs to be released when his contract ends this summer after a terrible injury record of late.
Marcus Rashford – STAY: As easy as it is to say Rashford should leave the club this summer, it’s difficult to look at the market and find many players available capable of scoring 30 goals a season.
Alejandro Garnacho – STAY: Another third of the trio of untouchables, Garnacho has won over the right since joining. He is a raw talent, but he has shown that he has the quality to improve.
Rasmus Hojlund – STAY: Slow in his first season at Man Utd, the 21-year-old was often left short of resources, which led to him being unable to score the goals that his movement and selfless play often deserves.
Amad Diallo – STAY: In the fleeting moments he has been on the pitch for Man Utd this season, Diallo has looked dangerous and exciting. He should be given the chance to flourish with some proper first-team chances throughout the season.
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