Matheus Cunha is revelling his switch to Old Trafford as the Brazilian is looking forward to his Manchester United debut.
The 26-year-old, who made the move from Wolverhampton Wanderers, revealed he grew up in the Brazilian beach city of Joao Pessoa with a dream of playing for the club one day.
“It is hard to find a way to explain this club to me,” Cunha said in an interview with United’s in-house media.
“My house didn’t have the channel to watch the Premier League. My cousin’s house didn’t have the channel.
“Only in my grandma’s house, we can watch the Premier League, so we organised to go every weekend.”And for me, it was always a bit inside of me, this club.
“When I play with [my cousin] in the street, on the beach, on the gravel pitch, we called these pitches ‘Old Trafford.’ Imagine.
“So, wow, it’s so hard to be here now, thinking about the past – it’s very emotional for me.”
Cunha netted 15 Premier League goals for Wolves last season. He also aided Brazil’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, assisting the only goal in a vital 1-0 win at home to Paraguay.
His move to Manchester raised some eyebrows after the Red Devil finished poorly in 15th in the Premier League and failed to qualify for any European football next season, however, he said the club and its former stars had left a lasting impression.
“It’s hard to talk about because I remember the whole squad at the time that I started to watch,” he added.
“In the front, [Wayne] Rooney, wow. Someone who I think I have a lot of particulars in my game, because I always give everything.
“I remember he was the No. 10 and everyone loved the skills of the player in his shirt, but he brings more. He goes to the grass [slide tackle] to take the ball; this kind of energy inside of him was a big example.
“[Cristiano] Ronaldo, everyone knows, it is easy to talk about him. Ryan Giggs. Everyone.
“I can imagine the team, it started with [Edwin] Van der Sar in the goal, Rio Ferdinand, [Nemanja] Vidic, the defenders, Paul Scholes, wow, [Michael] Carrick.
“The team for me, honestly, was a big impact on my teenage years.”
