Manuel Henriques Tavares Fernandes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Manuel Fernandes | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manuel Henriques Tavares Fernandes | |
| Date of birth | 5 February 1986 | |
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | |
| Height | 178cm | |
| Nickname | Manelelê | |
| Position | Defensive Midfeilder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Portsmouth (on loan from Benfica) |
|
| Number | 6 | |
| Professional clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (goals) |
| 2004- 2006- |
SL Benfica → Portsmouth (loan) |
67 (3) 7 (0) |
| National team** | ||
| 2005- | Portugal | 2 (1) |
|
* Professional club appearances and goals |
||
Manuel Henriques Tavares Fernandes (born 5 February 1986 in Lisbon), called Manuel Fernandes (pron. IPA: [mɐnu'ɛɫ fɨɾ'nɐ̃ðɨʃ]) for short, is a young Portuguese football (soccer) player who is currently on loan at Portsmouth F.C. from SL Benfica, and is starring in the Portuguese national team. Manuel Fernandes is a defensive midfielder and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma and João Moutinho, is being recognized as the future of the Portuguese national team, with Cristiano Ronaldo the most proven player among the four.
Contents |
[edit] Clubs
He made his debut for the senior team of Benfica in the 2003/04 SuperLiga, and became a first team regular player in the 2004/05 season, helping Benfica to win the Superliga after an 11 years hiatus. His first international appearance came against the Republic of Ireland, in 2004. In the next match of the national team, a friendly game against Canada, Manuel Fernandes scored his first international goal. Considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe, let alone Portugal, Manuel Fernandes is a midfielder with seemingly everything. His pace, ball skills and technical ability are as effective going backwards as they are attacking.
[edit] National team
Having represented Portugal at every level from Under-15 upwards, he made his full international debut in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland in February 2005. In his second match as a senior player, this time against Canada, Manuel Fernandes opened his international goalscoring account in a 4-1 win.
A product of the SL Benfica youth system, Manuel Fernandes was one of the youngsters given their chance by Spanish coach José Antonio Camacho in the 2003/04 season and, like with his international career, he soon found his feet, scoring in only his second outing. Although competition for places in the Portugal midfield is fierce, Manuel Fernandes remains hopeful of a place in their finals squad. The team's Brazilian coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has made a recent point of stressing that any players in good form leading up to the tournament will have a strong case for boarding the plane to Germany, even those who are currently turning out for the Portugal U-20 side. "I have to make my final choice on 15 May, and up until then we will be watching everyone," he said.
Nonetheless, Manuel Fernandes knows that his chances are slim. He has only played for Portugal in two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and is vying for a place with some top-quality players, such as his Benfica team-mate Petit and the experienced Costinha, one of the three players whom Scolari trusts to wear the captain's armband. Yet Fernandes is remaining focused on his objective, fully aware that if he does receive the call, then he has exactly what it takes to stand out as one of world football's bright young things.
[edit] 2004/05
Immediately gelled with Petit in centre midfield and grew in confidence as the season developed. An influential season saw Manuel Fernandes miss just five games as Benfica lifted the championship trophy for the first time in over a decade. He also made seven appearances in the UEFA Cup before the Lisbon outfit were eliminated in the Round of 32 by eventual winners PFC CSKA Moskva. With his neat control, determination and positional awareness, the Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes is aiming to secure a place in Portugal's FIFA World Cup™ squad this summer. Only just turned 20, Manuel Fernandes is a product of Benfica's youth system who made his first-team debut during the 2003/04 season, under then coach Jose Antonio Camacho. A defensive midfielder, he made an immediate impression on both Camacho and the Benfica supporters, scoring in only his second game for the Eagles.
The following season, under the guidance of legendary Italian manager Giovanni Trapattoni, Manuel Fernandes established himself as a first-team regular in the centre of midfield alongside Petit. As the Lisbon club won their first Portuguese title in 11 years, he was an ever-present, playing an active role in all but five league games.
The youngster has enjoyed equally strong showings in the international club competitions, appearing in last year's UEFA Cup where Benfica went out to eventual winners CSKA Moskow, and this season's UEFA Champions League where his equalising goal earned his side a draw at Villarreal in the group stage. Under Ronald Koeman, the current coach at the Stadium of Light, Manuel Fernandes has continued to go from strength to strength, developing into one of the most highly rated talents of his generation.
Strong in defence, he is equally adept in his attacking support play and these qualities have long been recognised at international level, with Manuel Fernandes featuring for Portugal at every age level from U-15 upwards. In 2003 he was part of the Portugal team that reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Championship before going down to Spain.
Some 18 months later, in February 2005, he made his debut for the senior team against the Republic of Ireland. Just as he had scored for Benfica in only his second game, so he also notched his first international goal in his second outing against Canada.
[edit] 2005/2006
During the pre-season stages, Manuel Fernandes was submitted to a surgery due to an Inguinal hernia. The intervention took place in Munich and was assisted by the famous doctor Ulrike Muschaweck. Manuel Fernandes was an important player for SL Benfica in the Champions league as Manuel Fernandes helped SL Benfica reach the Quater-finals of the Champions league season. Manuel Fernandes was called to represent Portugal in the UEFA U-21 European Cup (which took place in Portugal). Fernandes played all the 3 matches, but was not able to save Portugal from a disastrous performance (losing two and winning only one match).
[edit] Today
Manuel Fernandes is currently on loan to Portsmouth with a deal agreed for a permanent transfer of approximately £7 million if the player fully recovers from his groin injury. A transfer was first proposed in late July 2006 but could not be concluded as Fernandes was still suffering from injury and failed a club medical. In an unusual move, Benfica allowed the player to be treated at Portsmouth in the hope that he would regain fitness before the September 1st transfer deadline. After five weeks at the club it was projected that he still needed two months recovery and so the initial loan deal with a future fee was agreed. Harry Redknapp, has likened Fernandes to Paul Ince and wants to secure a permanent deal quickly to fend off interest from Manchester United.
Fernandes made his Portsmouth Debut in the League Cup away to Mansfield Town. He scored from outside the area after just 5 minutes and Portsmouth won 2-1.
[edit] Facts
Manuel Fernandes' strong positional sense and tight marking are so impressive that Chelsea manager José Mourinho is known to be a keen admirer. Mourinho went as far as to compare his young compatriot to Claude Makélélé, stating that the Portuguese midfielder was better than the Frenchman at the same age. In the wake of these comparisons, many Benfica and Portugal fans have nicknamed their young star Manelelê.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
| Portsmouth F.C. - Current Squad |
|---|
|
1 James | 2 Primus | 3 Stefanović | 4 Johnson | 5 O'Brien | 6 Manuel Fernandes | 7 Thompson | 8 Cole | 11 Pamarot | 14 Taylor | 15 Ashdown | 17 Koroman | 19 Kranjčar | 21 Songo'o | 22 Hughes | 23 Campbell | 25 Benjani | 26 O'Neil | 27 Kanu | 28 Davis | 29 Douala | 30 Pedro Mendes | 32 LuaLua | 35 Jordan | -- Berlin | -- Fordyce | -- Harris | -- Pearce | -- Wilson | Manager: Redknapp |
