Matheus Nunes grew up idolizing Ronaldinho and used to work in family bakery just 4 years before £53m Manchester City move

Portugal international Matheus Nunes recently secured a £53 million move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Manchester City. But just four years ago, the 25-year-old was working in his family's bakery in Lisbon.

The Brazil-born Nunes came from a humble background and was raised in Campo Grande favela in Rio De Janeiro by his mother, Catia. His father wasn't a part of his life and as a result, he had a difficult childhood.

The Manchester City midfielder credited his mother for making him fall in love with football. He told Record (via The Sun):

"Sometimes we didn't have anything to eat... although my mother never stopped working. She is a warrior who instilled in me a love of football. With her I got my first touches. If we didn't have the ball, my brother and I played with socks."

Matheus Nunes also admitted that Barcelona legend Ronaldinho was his idol growing up. He also told Sindicato dos Jugadores that Ronaldinho was the 'image' of what he wanted to be as a player.

With their lives looking bleak in Brazil, the Nunes family moved to Ericeira, a seaside community in Portugal. They opened the Pao da Vila bakery there, where Matheus worked as he simultaneously tried to forge a career in football.

He told Sporting TV:

"I worked about six, five months at the bakery. I came in the morning and the games were in the afternoon. I would stand for five, sometimes six hours on my feet and to train afterwards was not easy. I didn't have a driver's licence and woke up at 5am to go to work by bike."

Nunes plied his trade for the local team Ericeirense both as a youth and senior player between 2012 and 2018. It was there that he studied Ronaldinho to better himself as a player.

He then joined Estoril for a season in the 2018-19 season before being snapped up by Sporting CP for £500,000 the following summer, paving the way for a career as a professional footballer.

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When will Matheus Nunes make his debut for Manchester City?

Matheus Nunes was announced as a Manchester City player on September 1, signing a five-year deal with the treble winners. This came just a season after he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers for £38 million.

The midfielder was a part of the matchday squad that defeated Fulham 5-1 on Saturday (September 2) in the Premier League. He was an unused substitute as Manchester City ran riot against the Cottagers.

The central midfielder is renowned for his vision and technical ability in the centre of the park. He scored two goals and provided two assists for Wolves last season.

Nunes could potentially make his debut for Manchester City on September 16 against West Ham United in the Premier League.