'I really like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes...': Rinku says he became United fan because of Nitish Rana

New Delhi: India cricketer Rinku Singh has revealed that he is a Manchester United supporter, attributing his introduction to football and his love for the Premier League club to fellow Indian cricketer Nitish Rana.

Rinku recently experienced his first-ever live football match at Old Trafford, watching the high-profile Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City from the stands after years of following the sport on television.

“Nitish Rana bhai introduced me to football and showed me how to watch the game. From there, my interest in football grew a bit. And Rana Bhai is a United fan, so I used to spend time with him, and watching him, I became a fan of United,” Rinku said in an interview with JioStar.

The derby ended in disappointment for the home side, with Manchester City claiming a 1-0 win at Old Trafford courtesy of a second-half strike from Erling Haaland.

Although he entered Old Trafford as a Red Devils supporter, Rinku admitted his allegiance shifted slightly during the contest as United struggled to generate momentum against their cross-town rivals.

“Yes, I found myself supporting City a little bit as the match went on. United weren’t playing that well, while City were looking better at the time,” he shared.

However, the final scoreline did not dampen the significance of the moment for the middle-order batter. Rinku expressed delight at soaking in the iconic Old Trafford atmosphere for his live football debut.

“I consider myself lucky because I got to watch a match between City and United. I was very lucky to be there and watch the match at such a time. It was the first live football match of my life, and it was a completely different feeling altogether,” he noted.

“I realised what it feels like to watch a football match live in a stadium. I had only watched matches on TV before, so it felt really good to be there. I loved the vibe. The way the entire crowd supports the team when a goal is scored or a player does something special, the crowd screams out. That is something you really feel and experience when you are there at the stadium,” he added.

When asked about his personal favorites in the squad, Rinku picked English forward Marcus Rashford and Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes.

“I really like Marcus Rashford. I’ve followed him a lot, so he’s my favourite. And when it comes to composure, I think Bruno Fernandes. He stays very calm, plays very calmly, keeps strolling on the pitch, and when the ball arrives, he instantly scores a goal or does whatever is needed on the pitch,” he said. (IANS)