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AFC Champions League contenders Sharjah snap up Everton's Bernard

In three seasons in the Premier League with Everton, Bernard made 73 appearances and scored five goals for the Merseyside club. Jason Cairndruff/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

United Arab Emirates' Sharjah have bolstered their squad ahead of the restart of the AFC Champions League 2021 campaign with the signing of Brazilian attacker Bernard.

The 28-year-old joins on a two-year deal having spent the last three seasons in the Premier League with Everton, where he made a total of 84 appearances in all competition.

Having previously rose to prominence with Shakhtar Donetsk, Bernard joined Everton on a free transfer in the summer of 2018 and initially featured prominently for the Merseyside outfit.

However, he was limited to just 12 league appearances last season and has decided to move on ahead of the new campaign by making the Arabian Gulf League his next destination.

Sharjah were last champions of UAE in 2019 and finished fourth last term, but are also into the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League after finishing top of Group B back in April.

Their continental campaign resumes in September with a two-legged last-16 tie against compatriots Al Wahda, and they will be hoping the addition of an established campaigner like Bernard -- who won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil in 2013 -- will come as a huge boost to their prospects.