In the decade prior to Fernandinho’s £34million transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City in June 2013, eight Brazilians had arrived at one of the Premier League’s two Manchester giants. They were, in chornological order, Kleberson, Anderson, Rafael, Jo, Robinho, Elano, Glauber and Maicon.
They were a diverse group of men from varying regions of Brazil and different backgrounds possessing wildly divergent degrees of footballing ability. But all of them had two things in common: firstly, they were all known by a single name; secondly, and far more importantly, they had all failed to fulfil expectations in English football.
Each of them – with the possible exceptions of Glauber and Rafael – had fed into the stereotype. Brazilian players are skilful, Brazilian players are talented, but Brazilian players can’t really be relied upon. They don’t work hard enough, do they? They ease off once they’ve made a few quid and bought their mum a nice gaff, right? They prefer the dancefloor to the training pitch, don’t they? (Yes, we’re looking at you, Jo).
‘So,’ we thought, ‘what about this Fernandinho lad?’ He’s 28 and he’s coming from Ukraine. He’s 28 and he’s never played in a major European league. He’s 28 and he’s thin as a rake. He’s 28 and he’s only got five caps for Brazil.
Even Kleberson – Kleberson! – had 20 caps to his name and a World Cup winners’ medal in the cupboard by the time he arrived at Manchester United.
‘So,’ we thought, ‘what about this Fernandinho lad?’ Will he really have the minerals to dislodge James Milner, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry? Is he really the right player to help the noisy neighbours – who have just seen United beat them to the title by 11 points – become serial Premier League winners and Champions League contenders?
Well, yes, as it happens. And not only has Fernandinho done all that, but he managed to thrust himself into the conversation around the Premier…
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