Middlesbrough Legends - Juninho
By Shaun • Sep 29th, 2008 • Category: Boro LegendsThe arrival of a diminutive Brazilian International in 1995 sparked a feeling of excitement and expectation rarely, if ever, witnessed at the Riverside Stadium before or since. The entire town and surrounding area was captivated and thousands more season tickets were sold, Juninho had arrived.
Osvaldo Giroldo Junior or Juninho (later known as Juninho Paulista to avoid confusion with Juninho Pernambucano at Lyon) first came to prominance in England in the summer of 1995. The current Brazilian footballer of the year had travelled with the Brazil squad to take part in the Umbro Cup. Brazil went on to win the competition and Juninho scored a curling free kick for Brazil against England.
A few months later, to the disbelief of Middlesbrough fans and fans of football worldwide no doubt, Juninho was pulling on the Boro shirt for the first time against Leeds United. The Little Fella (as he would affectionately become known due to his height) did not disappoint, setting up a Boro equaliser for Jan Aage Fjortoft after a weaving run.
Juninho - The First Spell - 1995 to 1997
Despite flashes of what was to come from Juninho, his first season was a tough baptism to English football. He struggled at times with the pace and directness of the game and took some time to adjust to a new lifestyle and culture.
For his second season Bryan Robson had added players to the squad to compliment Juninho, fellow Brazilian Emerson came into the midfield and in another massive transfer coup Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli joined the club.
Juninho quickly became a fans favourite
After an encouraging start Middlesbrough’s league form was poor, despite this Juninho was a regular on the scoresheet for Middlesbrough and would often salvage points for the team on his own with flashes of brilliance. It was clear that despite Ravanelli’s goals, Juninho was the star attraction at Boro and this was crowned with a fabulous goal at home to Chelsea, a goal that would win the club’s Goal of the Season award. After exchanging passes with Emerson, Juninho took off past a couple of defenders with a trademark burst of acceleration. He laid the ball into Mikkel Beck and carried on running into the box, Beck crossed the ball back across the goal and Juninho met it with a diving header, an excellent goal.
Though Boro’s league form was poor their cup form was excellent and they made great progress in both the FA Cup and League Cup. Sadly it was not to be for Middlesbrough or their tiny talisman. Boro reached the Coca Cola Cup Final, but victory was snatched from their grasp by Leicester’s Emile Heskey with only seconds remaining, and Juninho was marked out of the final and the replay (won in extra time by Steve Claridge) by Swede Pontus Kaamark.
Relegation from the Premier League soon followed as a Brian Deane header left a heart broken Juninho sobbing on the Elland Road turf.
Finally, to put a particularly sour tasting cherry on top, Boro went to Wembley again and lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. Shortly followed by Juninho’s announcement that in order to realise his ambition of being in Brazil’s 1998 World Cup squad he would need to leave Boro to play in a top division.
Middlesbrough eventually relented to the advances of Spanish side Atletico Madrid and disappointingly for Boro fans of all ages, Juninho left the North East for sunnier climes in a £12 Million deal.
Juninho - The Short Term Loan - 1999 to 2000
Tragically for Juninho his dreams of making the 1998 Brazil squad were ended in Madrid, after a promising start to his career at Atletico a broken leg ended all hopes he had of playing his way into the squad.
The fans favourite rejoined the club in September 1999 on loan from Atletico, with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the loan deal.
Despite showing a few flashes of the old Juninho, he needed time to recover his fitness and form following the injury and as such was unable to scale the heights of his first spell. Sadly Middlesbrough decided not to make the deal permanent and Juninho returned to Atletico with many fans, myself included, fearing we had seen the last of The Little Fella.
Juninho - A Triumphant Return - 2002 to 2004
Following his return to Atletico he was loaned out again, this time returning to his native Brazil with Vasco De Gama. Juninho regained his fitness and, more importantly, he regained his scintillating form whilst on loan in Brazil. So much so that he worked his way back into the Brazil International scene and realised his dream of playing in the World Cup, playing his part as Brazil won the 2002 championship.
A Jubilant Juninho lifts the Carling Cup for Boro
Steve McLaren, who had been working alongside Sven Goran Eriksson for England at the World Cup, struck a deal with Atletico and the news all Boro fans wanted to hear was announced to the press. Juninho would be rejoining Boro, for a 3rd time, in a £3.75 Million deal.
The euphoria of the return of the brilliant Brazilian was short lived however. Juninho ruptured knee ligaments in a pre-season tour in Italy and was for out for months. After an operation and months of rehab in the USA Juninho finally made his long awaited return, coming off the bench to grab an equalising goal against Everton.
The trouble for Juninho was that Steve McLaren could not find a way to use the playmaking midfielder in his conservative formation. At times he was used as a out an out striker to decent effect grabbing goals against Blackburn and Manchester United. McLaren eventually relented and played two strikers with Juninho playing in the hole behind.
Juninho’s form was decisive as he fulfilled his promise of bringing the club that elusive major trophy, as Boro lifted the Carling Cup at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium.
Farewell to a Middlesbrough legend
Juninho departed Teesside for the final time in 2004, joining Scottish club Celtic. In truth he had a poor time up in Glasgow and eventually left to return to Brazil. Spell’s with Palmeiras and Flamengo were followed by a move to Sydney FC in Australia. Juninho announced his retirement from professional football following his release from Sydney in April 2008.
Was Juninho Boro’s greatest ever player (as he was voted in a December 2007 PFA fan’s poll)? I’m too young to have seen past Boro greats like Wilf Mannion, Graeme Souness and Brian Clough so my opinion is based solely on players I have pesonally seen in a Boro shirt. With that in mind Juninho was the best player I ever saw pull on the red shirt of Boro, at times he seemed to glide over the pitch with such speed and grace that he was clearly on a different level from the other players on the pitch.
Juninho is arguably Boro’s greatest ever player, what is beyond argument is that he is a Boro legend and will always be revered on Teesside.
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Shaun is A Boro fan and owner of BoroMania.com. Born and brought up in the North East. Favourite players are Juninho, Slaven and David Wheater.
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The Little Fella is the best player I ever saw pull on the Boro shirt. His debut was surreal it was like a true footballing superstar had arrived on Teesside and he was an absolute joy to watch.