The Red Devils have achieved a lot of success in recent years, but Bayanni still supports the team
Nigerian music sensation Bayanni has revealed that he started supporting Manchester United in 2007 while Portuguese star Ronaldo was at the club, Soccernet.ng reports.
Bayanni broke into the limelight in 2022 last year after the release of his hit track Ta Ta Ta. The track has garnered over 38 million streams on Spotify so far.
The 25-year-old Mavin Records Mavin signee also has an affinity for football. Bayanni has revealed that he is a big Manchester United fan. In fact, he has been supporting the club since he was a child.
“My life as a Manchester United fan started around 2007. This year was quite pivotal because almost everyone around me had also picked up an interest in football,” Bayanni said per Manchester United's website.
“The Nigerian national team were doing well and I remember almost every family in the neighborhood tuning in day and night to watch the youth team go all the way to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“So at school, even on the way to school, a few of my classmates and I would stop at the newspaper stand to have a peek at what the sports publications were saying.
“This was around the season Cristiano Ronaldo peaked as a footballer, the 2007/2008 season. Of course, I adored him. Everyone around me did as well. The tricks, audacious goals, delightful counter-attacking play where the team would score mind-blowing goals.
“I also loved the attacking quartet of Rooney, Tevez, Ryan Giggs, and Ronaldo. It was so cool to me that the team had this huge home support at Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams.
Bayanni also has fond memories of Paul Scholes. The English man scored the decider for Manchester United against Barcelona in their Champions League semifinal fixture in 2008.
“Another favorite player of mine then was Paul Scholes,” Bayanni added.
“Would we have got to the 2008 Champions League final without him scoring that long-range strike against Barcelona? No.
“He was so cool; such an amazing player with technique and flair. On his best days in central midfield, opponents had no chance.
“Revisiting all these memories is nostalgic because Manchester United formed a deep part of my childhood.
“Coming from a humble background, not a lot of families could watch Premier League matches, because cable television was quite pricey back in the day. There was always that one family in the whole neighborhood who had one.
“If you were close to them, they could let you in, sitting on their well-tiled floor to watch. You didn’t want to overstay your welcome though, so you would then make your way into a football viewing center. Along with other kids, I'd stand outside the door trying to watch the match.
“Yet it was fun. Being a United fan with Sir Alex at the helm orchestrating things was just so special. I remember us winning the Premier League in 2008 and Chelsea were actually very close – I think two, three points behind us in second?
Despite the shortage of trophies at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson left, Bayanni still has a lot of faith in the team.
He hopes to visit Old Trafford and watch the team lift the Premier League for the first time since 2013.
“I'll never stop watching United and hope to visit the Theatre of Dreams soon. Who knows? Maybe that first title since Sir Alex is not too far away with Ten Hag in the dugout,” Bayanni said.
