In the summer of 1997 Manchester United signed Brazilian international Celio Silva. However he was denied a work permit and the move fell through. What happened to him after that?
It is almost 15 years ago now, and the Brazilian will no doubt have come to terms with the way his dream move fell through.
But after being denied a move to Old Trafford by red tape, his career never hit the heights he would have hoped.
In fact it was only four years later that the South American’s career stalled, playing his last competitive professional game in 2001, retiring in 2003.
Back in 1997 he would have become the first Brazilian to ever wear the home colours at Old Trafford, at a time when fellow countrymen Juninho and Emerson were about to announce themselves at fellow Premier League club Middlesborough.
Celio Silva was a full international at the time, being a part of the Brazilian national squad which won that year’s Copa America.
He was a defender, nicknamed ‘The Cannon of the Brazilian Championship’, so renowned was his right-footed shot, even though he scored just 10 professional career goals.
He scored the crucial penalty for club side Internacional to win the Brazilian domestic cup in 1992, which led to his first international cap.
He received 11 caps in total, with the last arriving in 1997.
In truth after his £4 million United move was denied, his career dipped, just when it should have reached never before ascended heights.
He stayed another season at Corinthians, before playing for four sides in four seasons, failing to settle.
His career began at Vasco da Gama, before Internacional, before signing for French side Caen in 1993.
He stayed there just one season, scoring one goal in 34 games, before returning to Corinthians where he spent four years.
One year after his move to United fell through, he played at Goias, Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, and Chilean side Universidad Catolica, where he played just a combined 46 games in four seasons, scoring one goal.
He would have been 29 when he joined United, but despite playing in the Copa America for the national side that summer, strict Home Office rules denied him a work permit, arguing he had not played in enough of his country’s games to be considered a regular.
Work permit rules today remain strict, fellow Brazilian Paulo Henrique was denied a loan move to QPR in January for the same reasons, while Tottenham’s new signing Bruno Uvini worked a way around them thanks to the fact he holds an Italian passport.
While Celio Silva’s career clearly never recovered from the red-tape snub, United went from strength to strength.
They signed Norwegian Henning Berg, who went onto play a crucial part in United’s treble success, and Champions League win in 1999.
Nevertheless it would have been fascinating to see an extrovert Brazilian defender join a United defence which was slowly evolving from the 1994 side which boasted English no-nonsense defenders Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.
How the experiment would have played out, we will never know.
Many overseas players have been denied moves by work permits over the years- Which ones stand out for you?
image: © the_junes
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