Fernandinho joined Kleberson and his Philadelphia Union U12 team in a recent Zoom call

Philadelphia Union U12 head coach Kleberson recently had a special guest on a call with his team, fellow Brazilian international Fernandinho.

The Brazilians go back to the early 2000s when they were both at Atlético Paranaense. Fernandinho was a 17-year-old at the time and said he looked up to Kleberson as an idol.

“When I scored my first professional goal you were the first person to hug me after,” Fernandinho said on the call. “I was about to cry there; it was a big moment for me, a special moment.”

The Academy players spoke to the 34-year-old about his career at Manchester City, his experiences with City manager Pep Guardiola and life as a player playing away from his home country, among other topics.

Fernandinho also hinted at an MLS move in the future and said that he had considered a move to the U.S. in response to the first question one of the players asked him.

“For sure that is an option I consider for the future,” he said.

The call with Fernandinho was one of several players in the academy have been able to participate in since training sessions and games were suspended due to the coronavirus.

Calls have also been arranged for players to speak with former Manchester United player Quinton Fortune, retired Austria international Paul Scharner and West Ham United manager David Moyes, who played with Academy Director Tommy Wilson at Dunfermline Athletic in Scotland.