Bruno Fernandes will lead Manchester United out in the FA Cup final on Saturday hoping to atone for last season's defeat at this stage.
It is the second season in succession in which United will face their local rivals Manchester City in the decider at Wembley, with the blue half of the city going home happy last June.
United have endured a torrid season, though Fernandes has been one of the few consistent performers in a season shorn of high points. The Portuguese midfielder was voted Player of the Year by the club's fans this week.
Fernandes has largely been excellent since arriving in Manchester in January 2020, having signed from Sporting CP. In an excellent piece for the Players' Tribune ahead of the FA Cup final, Fernandes detailed the difficulties he had endured at times on the way to Old Trafford - and shared his nostalgic love for two classic football video games.
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Bruno Fernandes shares his love for Championship Manager
It's clear from Bruno Fernandes' piece that he has always been a football fanatic, with the 29-year-old saying that he would spend his childhood days playing endless games of football with friends.
When those games would end, games of a virtual variety were on the cards - and Fernandes' taste in Championship Manager in particular will be music to the ears of anyone who grew up playing the game.
If my mother made me stay inside for some reason, then I was playing football on the Sega or the PlayStation. I’m not talking about FIFA. I’m talking about the classics. Championship Manager and Pro Evolution Soccer.
Facu. Roberto Larcos. Castolo. Koko. Minanda. The legends of the Master League. I was managing “Man Red” to glory whenever I was not at the park.
Championship Manager retains a special place in the hearts of football fans. Of course, it has become Football Manager in more recent years, but there is a nostalgia attached to the glory days of the game's inception in the 1990s.
Even better is Fernandes' recollection of the iconic Pro Evo Masters team. Minanda, Koko, et. al are names that roll off the tongue for anyone who played as the side on the old PES games. The streets will never forget that strike duo of Castolo and Ordaz.
Having spent much of his teen years playing as the side (or "Man Red") on video games, it must be extraordinary for Bruno Fernandes to now be captain of Manchester United. He will hope to see the side's season end on a high in Saturday's FA Cup final. Kick-off at Wembley is at 3pm.
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