Bruno Fernandes currently cannot get out of the spotlight even if he wanted to, after dashing to the aid of a passenger taken ill during an EasyJet flight on his way to picking up an award at a Portuguese gala.
The Manchester United captain, who marked his 250th appearance for the club with a goal, an assist and a masterclass against Leicester City at the weekend, was honoured at the 2024 Quinas de Ouro gala in Lisbon.
While Fernandes received another gong for his bulging trophy cabinet, his mid-air actions have hit the headlines harder.
As per Business Cloud, the 30-year-old raised a cry of “Excuse me! We need help!” from the back of the plane after finding a passenger unwell on his way to the bathroom.
He reportedly helped the gentleman into a spare seat and stayed with him for a short time while cabin crew rushed to help, before quietly returning to his own seat.
A fellow passenger described the United hero as “unassuming” and added that “he wasn’t looking for any attention on himself”.
Fast forward several hours and all eyes were on the former Sporting Lisbon man, who returned to the city to collect an award alongside Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, as the pair made their Portugal U19s debuts together in 2012.
“It’s my first memory for the national team,” Fernandes said, via the Manchester United website. “It was a special milestone for me and it was great to share that moment with Bernardo.
“Being in the national team means being among the best, whatever the sport or age group. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to represent your country.”
The Quinas de Ouro gala gathered players and coaches from men’s and women’s football, as well as beach football and futsal, and its purpose this year was to reward those who have shown “the excellence of being Portuguese”.
Fernandes wasn’t alone in being recognised for this, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Ruben Dias also collecting prizes.
And to top off a significant day for him, new United manager Ruben Amorim was also honoured on his first day at work for his new employer.
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
