Fernandes: From tough defender to World Cup playmaker

Dogged determination: Midfielder Bruno Fernandes has come a long way to becoming Portugal’s asset. — AFP

BRUNO Fernandes has excelled at Manchester United and is expected to be a similarly creative force for Portugal at the World Cup – a far cry from his days as a bit of a journeyman and even a defender in his youth.

That sometimes haphazard journey began in the suburbs of Porto, where Fernandes played between the rows of low-rise council houses and in the playground of his primary school.