Brazilian Bernardo ready to write his own glory story

IF BERNARDO hadn’t been busy making the headlines, he could have been reporting them.

Brighton’s Brazilian fullback started a university degree in journalism before embarking on a career in football. And the 23-year-old intends to go back to putting pen to paper, or at least talking into a microphone, when he hangs up his boots.

It is, he reveals, all in his blood – mother Irene used to be a talk radio host in Brazil, debating subjects from politics to sport. His father, also Bernardo, played for Sao Paulo.

The pacey Brazilian has made a big impact at the Amex Stadium since his £9million summer move from RB Leipzig. A difficult debut in an opening-day defeat at Watford saw him drop out of the side for a while, but since October Bernardo has secured a regular place in Chris Hughton’s team.

The defender, who left his studies to play for Red Bull Brasil, moved to Red Bull Salzburg in 2016, then on to Leipzig, before Hughton pounced.

“I always had it in my mind that I wanted to work in football,” he said. “If I did not manage to become a footballer, I wanted to become a journalist.

“I even started university in Brazil, I did three semesters. I wanted to continue studying in Austria, but it was difficult to convert the points.

“I think I have the capabilities. Obviously I have to work a lot and improve but I have the conditions to become a good journalist, especially maybe in Brazilian television. Being an explayer and having studied it, I have an advantage over other players.

“Mum was a journalist. She used to talk about all kinds of diverse subjects on the radio. She had a show from six until nine in the morning debating the news. She was one of the hosts. I would like to do that. Radio I like a lot – TV I am bit scared about, to see myself on the screen. Radio would feel more comfortable.

“I used to be good at writing, but I don’t have the habit any more. It is something I should practise. But I have some years to work on that.”

The Brazilian certainly did his research on England and on Brighton. He and his girlfriend were frequent visitors to London while he was in Leipzig – and it was a DVD of Brighton legend Fatboy Slim playing live on the pier that helped clinch the deal last summer.

He said: “I like England. When I was in Germany I came two or three times with my girlfriend. When I arrived at Brighton it was like wow with the sun. It’s not the same now.”

He admits, though, that despite that Fatboy Slim DVD, he is not a fan: “To be honest I have not had a chance to listen.

I know who he is, I know he is iconic, people in Brazil love him and that is why they showed me the DVD.

“I will try and listen. Mostly I like Brazilian music, American hip hop or RnB.”

Right now though, as Brighton prepare to face Arsenal at the Amex Stadium, Bernardo has more on his mind. Like getting into the Brazil team – which was the reason he embarked on his jaunt to Europe in the first place. The Seagulls defender said: “My first match at Watford was not the best. It was a shock.

“The football here is very different from Germany or even Brazil. After that game I had a few weeks when I was not playing and I was not satisfied. Not with the club or the manager, but every player wants to play. I was working really hard those weeks to understand what the manager wanted.

“I needed to step up, condition myself to a higher level. I was playing against players that I thought were faster and stronger than me.

“For sure it is a big challenge, but that is why I came over to England. There is no other league that would give you the chance to play against such good teams with the frequency that you have here.

“It’s not like in Germany, where to play against Bayern or Dortmund you have to wait weeks and weeks. I want to become a better player, so I need to face these big players every match. My plan when I came to England was to get closer to this dream to play for my national team. The Premier League makes it more possible. Look at Richarlison.

“Everton is a big team, but it is not the top six and he managed to get into the national side. When you are playing in a competition like the Premier League, you already have a good level.”

And getting into the Brazil team would certainly be a story worth reporting.

If I wasn’t a footballer I wanted to be a journalist