Despite their similar appearances and playing styles, the two brothers lead very different lives
(Image credit: Getty Images)
At a glance, Ricardo Fernandes could easily be mistaken for his younger brother Bruno, the Manchester United and Portugal star.
Both have dark hair and beards, with a similar build and facial features. On the pitch, they share the same instincts to dictate play and make the difference for their respective teams.
But whereas Bruno operates at elite level for club and country, Ricardo plays for Roffey in Division One of the Southern Combination Football League.
While Ricardo dreamed of scaling those same heights when they played together as children, he has had to take a different path far away from the spotlight.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“We’ve got different lives. Bruno’s a professional footballer and I work for the NHS," he tells FourFourTwo.
"When I was young, my friends and close family probably thought I was the brother who was going to make it, but I didn’t and he did."
Football is a notoriously difficult industry to build a career in. Competition is fierce and so many different components have to fall into place at the right time to generate a positive outcome.
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Ricardo might not have achieved everything he'd hoped to as a footballer but he still competes at a good level, captaining his side.
"People tend to think, ‘Oh, he’s got this and that because of his brother’, but me and my partner have earned everything ourselves. I’m very proud of Bruno, though," he explains.
“I think he always looked at me growing up. We have a five-year age gap and he liked to come and play with me and my mates.
"I had to look after him – I didn’t want my friends kicking my brother if he was nutmegging them! I think that’s how he developed his strong mentality, playing against older opponents.”
Even now, Ricardo is still protective of Bruno and admits that he's occasionally targeted by opposition players and supporters because of his famous brother.
“Oh, yes, that happens. I’m not saying every game, but most games," says the 34-year-old midfielder, who has led his team to the top of the table.
"I don’t mind people coming up to me and speaking about my brother. I’m glad Bruno is known around the world. Manchester United was a big step for him.
"You hear the criticism and sometimes it affects you. It’s tempting to comment, but you have to leave it.”
Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for FourFourTwo, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players.
