Fred recalls 'amazing' Champions League debut

Manchester United midfielder Fred has been sharing his fond early memories of playing in the UEFA Champions League, ahead of this week's mouthwatering clash with Juventus at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian made 30 appearances (including six qualifiers) in Europe's premier club competition for former side Shakhtar Donetsk, including a 1-0 defeat to the Reds at the Theatre of Dreams back in December 2013.

Recalling his debut, a 2-0 triumph against Real Sociedad, Fred said: “It was sensational. We used to play the Champions League video game, so to be able to play in the competition with Shakhtar, to listen to that famous music, this time in the stadium... for me, it was an amazing feeling.

“It brings back all the memories from when I started, all the help my family gave me when I was growing up. To be able to play in the Champions League made me really happy - even happier because we won that match.”

Fred spent five years at Shakhtar after joining from Brazilian outfit Internacional, winning three league titles and three Ukrainian Cups. He made an immediate impact with a brace on his debut against Chornomorets Odesa, helping to clinch the 2013 Ukrainian Super Cup.

“Internacional didn't want to let me go but there were a lot of Brazilians at Shakhtar. They used to tell me the club was great and it was growing a lot so I decided to take this step and I was very happy there.

”In the beginning there will always be an adaptation process. To move from Brazilian football to Europe is really different. I managed to score these two goals in my first game but then I didn't play for a while. It was hard to adapt to the cold and very different but I did adapt. I was really happy during my five years at Shakhtar and I have a lot to thank them for.“