Born on 24 January 2002, Paulo Bernardo, full name Paulo 'Bernardo' Gonçalves Bernardo, has made a solid name for himself in the footballing world. The 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder currently represents Celtic, carving out his position as a central midfielder. Standing at 5ft 10in (1.8m) and weighing 12st 1lb (77kg), Bernardo is noticeable with his number 28 jersey. Subsequently, he's also represented the Portugal U21 national team.
Bernardo's current market value is roughly £3.3million, as reported by Transfermarkt.
A trainee at Benfica in the Liga Portugal, Bernardo joined the club in July 2010. He successfully made 17 first-team appearances during his debut season (2021 - 2022). In January 2023, Bernardo switched to Paços de Ferreira in the Liga Portugal 2, on loan. There, he made 13 first-team appearances and even managed to find the back of the net twice.
In September 2023, Bernardo made a significant move by transferring to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, once again on loan. He quickly became a regular, making 22 first team appearances and scoring three goals in the 2023 - 2024 season. Following his successful spell, Bernardo transferred permanently to Celtic in August 2024, for a sum of around £3.5m. He continued his positive trend, with 28 first-team appearances and two goals in the 2024 - 2025 season. In the 2025 - 2026 season, so far Bernardo has made seven first-team appearances.
Bernardo's performance is not just limited to the league. He has also made an impact in the League Cup 2025 - 2026 for Celtic, making two substitute appearances. At international level, he is making strides with the Portugal U21, scoring once in four starts during the UEFA U21 Qualifiers 2025. He also made an impression in the Europa League 2025 - 2026 for Celtic, with one start and three substitute appearances thus far.
