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Denílson (footballer, born 1977)

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"Denilson" redirects here. For the Arsenal FC midfielder, see [[:Denílson Pereira Neves]].
Denílson
File:Denilson.jpg
Personal information
Full name Denílson de Oliveira Araújo
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Free agent

Denílson, full name Denílson de Oliveira Araújo, (born August 24 1977 in Diadema, Brazil) is a football winger, who in 1998 became the most expensive footballer in the world. He is currently on trial for Portsmouth in England as a free agent. [1]. He may sign a deal with the ambitious premiership side, after he is expected to meet with Mick Salter prior to the Charlton game on Saturday 16 September, 2006. [citation needed]

Denílson broke the record when Real Betis paid São Paulo €32 million (UK£21.9 million or US$40.5 million) for his services. Denílson had been with São Paulo since 1995. In 1999/2000 he went on a brief loan to Flamengo. After becoming a World Cup winner in 2002, Real Betis sold the Brazilian in 2005 to French club Bordeaux for an undisclosed amount.

A player of outstanding close control and dexterity, Denílson suffers from what is often perceived as common flaw in Brazilian attackers: inconsistency, sometimes called 'The Swan Disease'. He is renowned for his 'stand still' stepovers, with many referring to the skill as the "Denílson".

In interviews, Denílson is known for talking plainly. In a 2003 interview with Wanderley Nogueira, Denílson offered some advice to Brazil’s younger prospects, like Gil, Robinho and Kaka, suggesting that they should avoid thinking about money, and focus instead on the joy of playing football in a great footballing centre.

On David Beckham: "He’s pretty. So he’s very lucky: he’s both a footballer AND pretty. I’m this ugly and still the women are all over me."

On playing overseas: "Everybody will miss home and feel saddened; the important thing is to be with trusted people in the beginning, when you still haven’t adapted".

Since his debut in November 1996 against Cameroon and as of 2005, Denílson has been capped 61 times for Brazil, scoring nine goals. After helping his country to a second place finish at the 1998 World Cup, he made five substitute appearances to become a World Cup winner after Brazil won the tournament in Japan and South Korea in 2002. However, he fell out of favour when Carlos Alberto Parreira became the Brazil coach in 2003 and was not included in the 2006 squad.

Denílson overcame a slow start to his career with Bordeaux to become an important member of Les Girondins' squad. However his contract expired in 2006, and he was been linked with free transfers to Tottenham Hotspur, Gaziantepspor and Celtic. Even with UEFA Champions League football next season, Bordeaux struggled to match the winger's wage demands, and he left, looking set to sign for Saudi Arabia's Al-Nasr, Middlesbrough or Portsmouth [2].

National team and clubs

Honours and awards

Quotations

  • "I'm twice as good as the number 10" - on why he chose the number 20 for Brazil.


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