Paulo Bernardo Gonçalves Bernardo, born on 24 January 2002 in Portugal, is a talented central midfielder currently plying his trade at Celtic. At 22-years old, Bernardo stands at 1.8m (5ft 10in) and weighs 77kg (12st 1lb). Donning the number 28 jersey, the lad has represented his native Portugal at the U21 level.
The midfielder is presently valued at around £4m, as relayed by Transfermarkt. Moreover, he still has a four and a half year contract with Celtic, set to expire only at the end of June 2029.
Bernardo stepped up to the professional stage with the Portuguese side, Benfica, in July 2010 as a trainee. During his first season of 2021-22 with Benfica, Bernardo proved promising, making 17 appearances in league matches.
Then, come January 2023, he was sent on loan to another club within the Liga in Portugal, Paços de Ferreira. There, he made 13 appearances while netting 2 goals in the 2022-23 season.
Interestingly, Bernardo joined Celtic on loan in September 2023. Over the course of the 2023-24 season with Celtic, the midfielder wrapped up 22 first-team appearances and scored three goals in league matches. And, it seems, the lad hasn't stopped, delivering a steadfast performance in his current 2024-25 season, with 14 appearances and two goals thus far.
In a rather decisive move, Celtic managed to acquire Bernardo from Benfica in August 2024, after paying out a transfer fee of around £3.5m. It's safe to say that the investment has been worthwhile. Bernardo continued his excellent performance, further helping cement Celtic's position in the Premiership.
Alongside his commendable league run, Bernardo represented Celtic in the Champions League during both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He's also played an integral part in the League Cup 2024-25, contributing a goal, and has represented Portugal U21 in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualifiers for the 2024-25 season, scoring an impressive four goals.
