"Bruno Fernandes had a poster of me," reveals former EPL star as unlikely friendship begins

EPL midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been one of the players in the country since making a move to Manchester United in the January transfer window. The Portuguese star has breathed new life into the Red Devils' EPL season and has seamlessly adapted to life in a new country.

While Fernandes cited Cristiano Ronaldo as one of his inspirations, a surprising story has emerged about the EPL newest superstar. According to The Athletic, Fernandes developed an unlikely fondness for former Manchester City midfielder Stephan Ireland as a youngster.

We’ve got to work on a cooler celebration mates 😅 @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/UpO92pubOd

— Bruno Fernandes (@B_Fernandes8) June 22, 2020

The 33-year-old is currently a free agent after departing Bolton Wanderers in 2018. However, back in the day, Ireland was the Cityzens' star man in the EPL and is one of their finest academy graduates. The former Republic of Ireland international was surprised when he got to know that Fernandes was a fan of him and opened up about the surprising episode.

"He [Bruno Fernandes] told me that, as a kid, he had a poster of me. He said that when he played Football Manager he always signed me. I was like ‘You had me on a poster? — you sign me for Football Manager?’ I mean, how weird is that?"

As per the report, the pair live three doors away in Manchester and Fernandes reportedly offered to have a kickabout with Ireland's youngest son, as an unlikely friendship continues to blossom behind the scenes.

Unlikely friendship between EPL stars past and present

Stephan Ireland is one of the EPL's forgotten stars

Since making a move to the EPL in January, Fernandes has been one of the best players in the country. The 25-year-old has chipped in with four goals and assists apiece in 10 appearances across all competitions and has sensationally been named Man of the Match in every EPL game he was started for the Red Devils.

🔴 Since his debut, no @ManUtd player has scored more goals (𝟰), made more assists (𝟰), had more shots (𝟯𝟴), shots on target (𝟭𝟱) or created more chances (𝟮𝟲) than Bruno Fernandes 💫#MUNSHU pic.twitter.com/H6L3Rrx1OO

— Premier League (@premierleague) June 24, 2020

Fernandes' immediate impact at Old Trafford has led to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer comparing him to club legend and EPL icon Paul Scholes. As transcribed by the Guardian via Bleacher Report, the Norwegian lavished praise on his newest acquisition and opened up about his unique skill-set.

"He is a goalscoring and assisting midfielder, a little bit like Paul Scholes. He can strike a ball fantastically.

"He has got such a wonderful technique, but he also is going to get assists from set plays and from his range of passes. He is a similar type to Scholesy: fiery, passionate, hates losing and same number [18] on the back of the shirt."

Fernandes was at it once again after the EPL restart, as he scored Manchester United's equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw. The Red Devils are currently five points behind Chelsea on the EPL table and will look to string together a run of victories in the business end of the season.