Born on the 24th of January, 2002, in the hearty land of Portugal, Paulo Bernardo Gonçalves Bernardo, henceforth known simply as Paulo Bernardo, is a player sure to add credence to any footballing discourse. Currently aged 23, this central midfielder ensures Celtic's engine room runs like a meticulously crafted Swiss watch. A commendable physique of 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall and tipping the scales at 12st 1lb (77kg) provides the physical presence required of any hardened midfield grafter. Paulo takes to the field donning the number 28 Celtic jersey, a sight that brings joyous memories to the Green Brigade.
Regaling us with more glittering credentials of Paulo's career in the game, 'Transfermarkt' marks his current market value around a robust €6.00m (approximately £5.1m). You can verify these here: Transfermarkt. Paulo's commitment to Celtic extends till the 30th of June 2029, with his current contract running for another 4 years and 2 months.
Let us delve deeper into the origin story of our prodigious midfield magus. Paulo first crossed the line of professionalism in July 2010, when he joined the ranks at Benfica in the Liga Portugal as a trainee. His debut season in 2021-2022 at Benfica saw him making 17 appearances in league matches. But a player of Paulo's quality couldn't simply bide his time on home soil for long. Thus, January 2023 witnessed Paulo Bernardo tempted away from Benfica to Paços de Ferreira in the Liga Portugal 2 on loan.
During the 2022-2023 season, Paulo showcased his footballing promise at Paços de Ferreira in Portugal, making 13 first team appearances and finding the net twice in league matches. Following this, Paulo received a call from the bonnie lands of Scotland where Celtic FC had shown interest in his signature. Heeding the call, he whispered goodbye to Liga Portugal and found himself donning the green and white of Celtic in September 2023.
In his debut season 2023-2024 at Celtic, Paulo made a staggering 22 first team appearances and bagged 3 goals. His performance did not lose any lustre in the following season as the 2024-2025 campaign witnessed him playing 28 first team games and scoring twice. Celtic saw enough promise and potential in Paulo to make his loan deal a permanent one in August 2024, paying around £3.5m to Benfica.
He also made notable appearances in the Champions League, the League Cup, the Scottish Cup for Celtic, and in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualifiers for Portugal U21. All these appearances and performances further marked his stature both domestically and internationally. Paulo Bernardo has indeed carved a niche as a significant figure in Celtic's midfield ranks and continues to win hearts in the hallowed halls of Celtic Park.
