One by one, Bruno Fernandes introduced his team-mates in the style of a talent show host and invited them to sing, the Manchester United captain relishing his role as compere.
It was February 19. United’s squad and a number of staff were dining at Brazilian restaurant Jardim Rodizio Grill in Altrincham after an evening spent tenpin bowling at Lane7, where the party of 50-plus also played pool and darts.
Fernandes had organised everything and paid for it all himself. Finally, he took centre stage to coax United’s new players to stand up and perform their initiation songs – two January recruits, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven, and late summer signings like Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Noussair Mazraoui, who must have thought they had got away with it having joined too late for the ritual on tour in the US.