Paulo Bernardo, born on the 24th of January 2002, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays principally as a central midfielder for Celtic. Standing 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall and weighing in at 12st 1lb (77kg), Bernardo dons the number 28 jersey. Known in full by his moniker, 'Paulo Bernardo' Gonçalves Bernardo, he also has the honour of representing Portugal at the U21 level.
According to Transfermarkt, Bernardo's approximate market value is €4.50m (£3.8m). As of now, he has a contract with Celtic extending till the 30th of June 2029, providing him with another 4 years and 5 months with the Scottish club.
His football career commenced in earnest when, in July 2010, he joined Benfica, an esteemed club competing in Liga Portugal. He made his debut during the 2021-2022 season, appearing 17 times in league matches. His time with Benfica came to a temporary halt during January 2023 when he was loaned out to Paços de Ferreira, another Liga Portugal outfit. During his season-long loan, Bernardo made 13 first team appearances and scored two goals in league matches.
In September 2023, Bernardo's journey took him from the sun-bleached terrains of Portugal to the bustling city of Glasgow, Scotland where he was given an opportunity to play for Celtic on loan. During his memorable tenure in the 2023-2024 season with Celtic, Bernardo made 22 first team appearances and netted the ball three times in league matches. Such was his impact that, in the current 2024-2025 season, he is once again featuring on the field with 22 first team appearances and two goals.
Following his initial success at Celtic Park, his loan move was made permanent in August 2024. Celtic agreed to transfer from Benfica a sum of around £3.5m for Bernardo. Since joining permanently, Bernardo's performance has been consistent, as seen in his 22 first team appearances and netting three goals in the 2023-2024 season. Furthermore, he's continuing this run in the current season (2024-2025), with identical appearances and two goals.
Bernardo's skills haven't gone unnoticed, leading to his participation in various tournaments. Notably, he has taken part in the Champions League 2023 - 2024 and 2024 - 2025 campaigns for Celtic, with two and eight appearances respectively; the League Cup 2024 - 2025 where he scored a goal; and the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025. Additionally, while representing his national side in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualifiers 2024 - 2025, he managed to score an incredible four goals in nine starts.
