Why does Bruno Guimarães wear Jersey no. 39? Here is the emotional story behind it

Bruno Guimarães is one of the most talented and prolific midfielders in the world football right now. The 27-year-old Brazilian currently plays for the Premier League side Newcastle United, where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in recent years with his sublime ball-playing ability and playmaking skills.

One of the most interesting things about Guimarães is that he wears an unusual number for a first-team central midfielder like him. Instead of the traditional four, six, or eight numbers for midfielders, the Brazilian wears the number 39 shirt.

Even more interestingly, the Brazilian has worn the 39-numbered Jersey in every club he has played in his senior club career so far, showing his intense attachment to this certain number. This surely raises a question among the fans, why does he always prefer this number?

Well, the reason behind it is very emotional and heartwarming. Guimarães pays homage to his father, who endured struggles as a taxi driver to help the player grow his football career.

Bruno Guimaraes on his shirt number 🫶

“The number 39 gave me everything in life. It got me here to @NUFC. It fed me, clothed me, and paid for three-hour bus rides to pursue my dream.

“#039 was the dispatch number of my father’s taxi in Rio de Janeiro.” pic.twitter.com/LqFNkArJTQ

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 24, 2023

The emotional story behind Guimarães' Jersey no. 39 

Burno's father Dick Guimarães used to be a taxi driver in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the number 39 was his vehicle's despatch number.

In the famous 'The Players' Tribune', Guimarães wrote an emotional article in February 2023, revealing the heart-warming reason behind his using the number so often and putting it up in his football shirts during his senior club career.

The number tells a story more beautiful than words can say. 39. I know people think it’s a weird number for a footballer. But for me 39 is special — no, it’s more than that. It's magical. The number 39 gave me everything in life. It got me here to Newcastle. It fed me, clothed me, and paid for three-hour bus rides to pursue my dream. #039 was the dispatch number of my father’s taxi in Rio de Janeiro.

He dived deeper into the emotional backstory, as later on he wrote:

My mother worked in a motorcycle shop. My father, of course, was a taxi driver. In Brazil, especially in Rio, this is a tough life. You work basically all day and night. But that yellow taxi kept my dream alive. Pretty much the only day I saw my father was on Saturday, when he came to watch me play football. It made me nervous, to be honest. My father was my hero. I didn’t want to disappoint him. And he was quite hard on me, at first. Sometimes he’d even say, 'I’m tired of seeing you lose. You can have an extra hamburger today, but only if you win.

"My journey was not a superstar’s story."

Bruno Guimarães pulled the emotional strings of his childhood complexities and sufferings but never overlooked the sacrifices his parents made.

I won’t lie. There were a few times that I had my bags packed. Once, I called my mom and told her to send me money for a bus ticket home. And I can hear her voice saying, “Stay calm. In a little while, we’ll be there together. This is your dream. This is what you want.” 

They used to drive up to see me in the taxi on weekends. Even on his day off, my dad couldn’t escape the yellow taxi, number 039. For three years, I struggled at the academy. By the time I was 17, I still didn’t have a professional contract. It’s crazy to think about kids like Vinicius Jr. and Endrick — 16, 17 years old and — they were already stars. Me, I was making backup plans to become a taxi driver like my father. I was only earning about R$400 a month, and I think my cellphone bill was R$100. If I didn’t get a pro contract at 18, I had to be realistic. I didn’t want my parents to be disappointed, so I lied and said that I was taking my license test because I dreamed of having a VW Beetle when I signed my contract. But really, I was working on my back-up for “real life.” 

I was months away from becoming 039 myself, if I didn’t get my break. 

Bruno also recalled an emotional phone call with his father when he was loaned to Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense in Brazil.

...When I was loaned to Athletico Paranaense, I was talking to my father on the phone on the day I arrived, and I said, “Hey, what number do you think I should take? I’m thinking of using 97, because I was born in 1997.” 

And he said, “What about 39? That is more than a number. 039 gave us everything we have, Bruno. Our house, our food, our furniture, your football boots. It was all because of our taxi.”...