Anderson: The File …
Telegraph: Anderson, full name Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira, was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He joined Gremio (also Ronaldinho’s former club) at the age of only five and made his debut in 2004, scoring one goal in five appearances.
He has played for the Brazil national team at each age group, his finest moment coming when he was crowned player of the tournament at the Under-17 World Cup in 2005.
His form alerted scouts from all over the world, but it was Porto who acted quickest to sign him. Anderson scored a spectacular solo winner against Nautico in November 2005 to helped Gremio clinch promotion before he joined Porto in December 2005, making his debut as substitute in a 3-0 league win against Nacional in March 2006. His three league appearances and two cup games that season enabled him to form part of a championship-winning team who also won the Portuguese cup and the Portuguese Supercup.
Anderson began the season in good form, but broke his right leg in a league game against Benfica in December. He returned to play in Porto’s last few games of the season, once again enough to be part of a championship-winning team.
The glimpses of brilliance in those games was enough to convince Brazil’s national coach, Dunga, to call Anderson up for the first time and he is in the squad to face England today.
His muscular physique, pace, great ball skills and mesmeric dribbling will thrill Manchester United fans, provided the club are able to overcome the question of a work permit. At the moment the player is ineligible as he is not yet a regular for the Brazil national team, but United hope to get special dispensation.
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Guardian: So too, it would seem, does the deadlocked Anderson Luis De Abreu Oliveira. The 19-year-old Brazilian, born in Porto Alegre, spoke yesterday of his move to United being a “dream the size of the world”, although if the early assessments of his ability prove accurate it will be Ferguson who is pinching himself at his good fortune. “Anderson is the most promising of the new generation of Brazilian players,” said the former Brazil international Tostao, now a television pundit. “He has everything it takes to be as good as Kaka or Ronaldinho and if he gets to that level it won’t be a surprise. He plays in that position between the midfield and the strikers and is so creative, very skilful on the ball and quick on the break.”
This is a player who made his mark with a last-minute goal against Nautico which helped Gremio win promotion to Brazil’s top flight. His monthly wage, as a 16-year-old, suddenly leapt from £200 to £12,000, with his performances in the South American Under-17 tournament in 2005 earning a move to Porto. He was just as impressive in the World Cup for that age group that year - he received the ballon d’or as Brazil reached the final, in which he was carried off injured. “I saw him when he was at Gremio and he is a good player,” said Ronaldinho, also formerly of Gremio, “a really good player.”
Yet the praise comes with a warning. “If I had to point to a negative I would say he is maybe overly self-confident,” added Tostao. “When I saw him play at the Under-17 World Cup, in which he was clearly the best player, there were times when he just stood around. He gave you the impression that his attitude towards his team-mates was ‘Pass me the ball and I will sort everything out’. Anderson already thinks he is a great player. When Ronaldinho and Kaka were his age they didn’t have that attitude, but he is an exceptional talent and could be one of the greats.”
It says much that United have moved to secure him despite his being restricted to 15 games last season after breaking a leg. “But he’s a valuable player and will get his chance in the future, for sure,” said the current Brazil coach, Dunga. Anderson will need to prove his quality, like Nani, in the years ahead but already it seems that United - even at £35m - have secured something of a coup to leave their rivals quaking.
