Joke was on Bannan and Fletcher when Ronaldo said ‘Hi!’
CHANCES are you have not heard the one about Barry Bannan in Amsterdam with Cristiano Ronaldo. As Christmas party tricks go, this has to be right up there.
The occasion was Sheffield Wednesday’s festive shindig, when almost all of Carlos Carvalhal’s squad jetted off to Holland for three days in late November hours after beating Wolves in the Championship.
Drink was flowing and Wednesday were bonding when Bannan span round to club captain Jose Semedo and suggested he get his apparent best friend on the phone.
It turns out Semedo’s closest companion currently has the Ballon d’Or pride of place in his luxury Madrid villa.
‘Barry and Steven Fletcher were asking me to ring Cristiano. They thought I’d say “no, no, let’s not do that”,’ Semedo laughed. ‘So I Facetimed him. They knew we were friends but didn’t really realise how close we are.’
Wednesday’s squad congratulated Real Madrid’s Portuguese superstar on last summer’s European Championship triumph, amid some general admiring chatter.
Ronaldo then implored Wednesday to win promotion to the Premier League after hearing so much about the club from a friend he has spoken to almost every day for 20 years.
He also plans to visit Hillsborough in the near future.
‘They couldn’t believe it,’ said Semedo. ‘He was talking to them normally, as if he knows Bannan or Fletcher like a friend. It was crazy. They couldn’t believe it. “Oh my God, I’m talking to Ronaldo”.
‘I hope he can make it over. I want the fans to see Ronaldo, a huge star, step onto their pitch.’
Semedo, who is set for a first appearance since August when Wednesday travel to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup today, met Ronaldo in Sporting Lisbon’s academy and the pair still set aside a week every summer for their families to holiday together — even if their careers have taken different paths.
‘I see Ronaldo as a proper brother,’ the Portuguese said. ‘We’ve grown up together. He doesn’t think he would ever have reached the level he has but believes it’s down to our mentality not to give up on anything.’
Bannan and Fletcher did not realise exactly how close the pair were until Ronaldo’s face popped up on Semedo’s iPhone.