Man United star Bruno Fernandes shows true colours with Kevin De Bruyne admission as he becomes a free agent this summer

Man United star Bruno Fernandes shows true colours with Kevin De Bruyne admission as he becomes a free agent this summer

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed his admiration for Man City star Kevin De Bruyne, while discussing his swapped shirt collection

His collection boasts the shirts of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and a whole host of his Portuguese international team-mates who he has competed against for United

But he reserved special praise for De Bruyne, the star of cross-city rivals Manchester City, when discussing the favourite shirts he has amassed over the years.

“I have De Bruyne’s, for example,” he told Inside United. “He is someone that I’ve always really liked and respect a lot for what he has done in football. Martin Odegaard also, I also exchanged with both of them.

“I have exchanged the shirts with players that play in my position, that I really like, and I really think that they are top-class players, like Cole Palmer, I have his shirt also

“I don’t know if there’s anyone but I wouldn’t mind asking them if I do think so. Declan Rice, when he was still at West Ham. He asked me, at the time, when we swapped because I know he does have a big collection. I also have a Son one from Tottenham.”

However, he admitted he regrets not asking for Italy’s World Cup winning midfielder Andrea Pirlo’s shirt while playing in Serie A.

“The only one that I really, really regret not asking for was Andrea Pirlo,” he added. “He was one of my favourite ones growing up, him and Iniesta, but I have never been brave enough to ask him

“I had a chance to speak with him and chat and it was very, very good. I had the time to stay there and exchange some words with someone that I always looked up to and I even said to him if, for any chance, you have a shirt at home that you don’t need or is there just for no reason, could you just remember me and, if you want, you can send it to the Portuguese camp.

“He never did it! Now I think it is obviously the only one I regret not asking for.”