When Paulo Bernardo was anxiously waiting for his future to be resolved this summer, he knew one thing for certain; that he had left his heart in Glasgow. Perhaps as an act of manifestation, he also left his clothes and a whole host of other stuff too, just for good measure.
Bernardo wanted a move back to Celtic, and having been told by manager Brendan Rodgers that he wanted him in his squad again, he was reasonably enough assured that his dream would come true. So, he packed his things into storage, and waited. And waited some more.
Finally, his patience - and his willingness to rack up storage fees - paid off, as Celtic struck a deal with Benfica for his permanent transfer, and he put pen to paper on a five-year deal last week.
He is delighted to be settling back into the old routine in the dear green place, then, a moniker that has more than one meaning for Bernardo, and he thanked the Celtic fans for taking him into their hearts and welcoming him into their family as he made himself at home once more.
“I brought a lot of clothes and things last year, and I kept it in storage here because I didn’t know if I was coming back or not,” Bernardo said.
“This year it will be a little bit easier, because I have my things here in Scotland.
“I wanted to do this step and to come back again because I really liked to be here last season. So yeah, I'm really glad that happened.
“My continuity in Benfica, it wasn't certain. If I moved to somewhere else, then I could just take my things from here. But I always hoped to come back, and I wanted to do this move. And I'm really happy.
“We have to think about very option we have [as football players]. But you have always one option that comes from the heart or from the gut.
“Everyone knows that I wanted to come back. It was easy to make a decision. When I got back from my vacation, I told my agent that I wanted to come back. So, he made this possible and I'm here now.
“He didn't even propose me another option. So, it was like that, it was easy for me.”
Being settled off the park, he feels, will allow him to perform at an even higher level than he showed last term on it, when he produced displays littered with moments of promise.
“I never have troubles in here, in Scotland,” he said.
“It is calm and chilled. And I'm a quiet person, so it was good for me.
“I had the park outside my house, I could go for a walk and clear my head or somethings like that.
“My girlfriend was here with me too last year, the whole season, and she really liked to be here too.
Read more:
"So, I think it was the club, the city, the fans, everything. For me, it was nice and calm, but then the games are different!
“The atmosphere in the games, it's different, you know, inside the pitch.”
He was able to make a positive impression on manager Rodgers in that environment though, stepping up to the plate for his team on more than one big occasion.
Whether it was filling in for a stricken Reo Hatate in the opening minutes of a Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid, or scoring a peach against Rangers in his Old Firm debut, Bernardo showed he had the temperament to handle huge matches, and the ability to make telling contributions in them.
And no more so than when he drove through the midfield in the dying embers of the Scottish Cup final, getting a swirling, swerving shot away that proved too hot for Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland to handle, allowing Adam Idah to tap home on the rebound and win Celtic the trophy.
“Since then, I watched it back several times!” he said with a wide smile.
“It would have been better for me had my shot gone it, but the important thing that we won the cup and that's it.
“The right option for me at that time was to shoot, and it ended well with Idah scoring. We won the cup, and it was good for me.”
So too was it good to hear from his manager in the wild celebrations that followed that he would be looking to make him a part of his squad once more.
“I think the whole season he liked me,” Bernardo added.
“The cup final was a special moment, but it was just a moment in the final part of the season.
“So, if I didn't have a good season behind, the moment didn't give me anything for the future.
“But I spoke with the manager before and after the final and his thoughts didn't change. But it was good to talk with him.
“He told me that he really likes me, and I had a good season, but you know the market, so it wasn't a sure thing for the club, for the coach and for me too.
“So, yeah, I’m really glad it happened.”
