Often derided as one of the worst ever buys by Manchester United – He was a World Cup winner you know – Where is he now?
Ever wondered what happened to Kleberson after leaving Old Trafford? Look no further, we have all the answers.
First, let us take you back to when the Brazilian midfielder was signed. It was in summer 2003, a year after he helped Brazil clinch their fifth World Cup victory in the Far East.
At that time he was the first of his countrymen to play for United, which he described as an honour, setting the way for the Da Silva twins and Anderson.
United had just sold Juan Veron to Chelsea after two mixed seasons, finding a £16 million bid too good to resist, buying his fellow South American for £6 million.
Sir Alex Ferguson said after his summer dealings, “One of the reasons we sold Seba Veron was because we knew we were getting Kleberson – that shows how highly we regard his talent.”
It’s fair to say Kleberson never really hit it off at Old Trafford. He had a moment or two where he showed what he can do, but overall he fell well short of the standard expected from a World Cup winner.
He made just 20 first team appearances, scoring twice, and was sold two years later to Turkish side Besiktas for £2.5 million, the club Bebe has been loaned to.
He spent two years in the Turkish Super League, making 45 appearances – more than twice as many as he did at United in the same time.
His spell wouldn’t have been described as wildly successful, but he certainly recovered a lot of credibility after his failed United spell. Among his better moments was this stunning worked free-kick goal.
In 2007 he was, like many Brazilians in recent years, tempted to return to his home country, signing a deal with top club Flamengo, but a contract wrangle stopped him playing until 2008.
When he got going, he didn’t disappoint. His performances in midfield earned him an international recall, ironically, replacing Manchester United’s Anderson in the Brazil squad in 2009 after he got injured.
He helped Flamengo win the 2009 national championship, and was selected in Dunga’s 2010 World Cup squad, even though he barely featured in the competition itself.
A year later, he fell out with new coach Vanderlei Luxembourgo, who sent him out on loan to his first ever club Atletico Paranaense, where he played regularly.
Into the new year the pair patched up their differences, and Kleberson was recalled. He repaid the faith by scoring in the derby against Fluminense which Flamengo won 2-0, and is part of a team of high-profile Brazilian stars, including Ronaldinho and Vagner Love.
At 32, he still has much more to give and looks right now to be enjoying his football. Just don’t expect a return to the Premier League any time soon.
image: © Christian Haugen
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