Celtic can be a brilliant platform for players to demonstrate their talent and further their careers during their time at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are in a unique stratosphere of being outside the top five leagues in Europe, though they possess standards akin to any of the biggest clubs in the world.
In light of this, the Bhoys need to gamble by taking a chance on markets that those south of the border, for example, may be less likely to enter to secure prodigious talent.
Matt O’Riley and Jota are two recent examples of this, with the latter coming in from Benfica B before being sold for £25 million last summer to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad.
Countless other players who have arrived at Parkhead over the years also fall into this blueprint, which has been proven to lead to financial rewards down the line.
Summer signing Paulo Bernardo is a similar case to that of Jota, seeing as he also pitched up in Glasgow last year on a loan deal with an option to buy from Benfica B, a stipulation that is rumoured to sit at around £6 million.
The Portugal Under-21 international has enjoyed some very promising moments in green and white within his 20 appearances across all competitions, where he has registered three goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].
His finest hour came at the tail end of last year as he blasted past Jack Butland to open the scoring his side’s eventual 2-1 derby victory over Rangers.
Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo is keen to break into the Portugal squad
Bernardo will harbour ambitions of having a successful career at the elite level, and breaking into his nation’s senior international set-up will be key to that.
Speaking in a recent interview, the 22-year-old has confirmed he is keen to take the step up from Under-21 honours to the Selecao’s main side.
He stated [Daily Record]: “It’s a very strong group of players coming through with Portugal right now. I have always dreamt about playing for the national team. It is ambition of mine – and it is also a big motivation to get to that stage and play for my country.”
It is unsurprising that the Almada-born playmaker harbours hope of potentially being involved in the same side as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva one day, and he still has plenty of time to break through the ranks.
Finding consistency through playing regular football will be key to this and Celtic may be the perfect environment for Bernardo to continue to grow as a player to help fulfil his aspirations.
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