Francisco Ernandi Lima da Silva, better known in the football world as “Mirandinha”, was the first brazilian player ever to play in English football, when in 1987 he signed with Newcastle United. I had the opportunity to ask some questions to the former striker who played two seasons for the Magpies. He was very friendly and clearly still loves not only the club but the city of Newcastle.
Fernando H. Schmude: Nice to meet you Mirandinha, thanks for the opportunity. My first question is, how you coped with the move to England and how you adapted? Please tell us how everything happened.
Mirandinha: Well, I could only belive when I finally signed my contract and came to the field for my first practice. Until that, I thought everything would be very difficult. I was ready to go play in Mexico when Newcastle showed interest and I made my choice. All happened with the help of Humberto Silva, a big friend of mine who was an exchange student living in England. He had contacts who were close to Malcom Macdonald, the former Newcastle striker. “Super Mac” started to bring information about me to the club, in special to Willie McFaul, who was the manager at the time. When I played for Brazil against England at Wembley, McFaul was there, and after that game and the game against Scotland, they were sure I was what they wanted. The adaptation was very tough, a very different culture, different food, a completly different style of football and I didn’t speak the language, but I found so many wonderful people who helped me, like Humberto, who really took care of me in the beginning. Also David McCreery, my fantastic Irish teammate who always gave me a ride to the practices and Paul Gascoigne, who became a huge friend of mine. They were very important for sure.
FHS: What’s your best memories from your time at NUFC?
M: Amazing things happened to me during my time at Newcastle. My 25 year-old daughter born there, I made great friends like Gazza and McCreery. Also Jim Wallace, who was my interpreter and helped me and my family after Humberto left England. McFaul always was very nice with me too. I had great moments with the Newcastle shirt and I think the worst decision I made in my career was not to return to Newcastle when I had the chance. I played two seasons there and returned to Palmeiras, my former club. One year later, NUFC wanted me back but with so many friends and special people asking me to stay, I said no. It was the worst decision of my career. Definitely my time at NUFC was some of the best of my life.
FHS: Do you still follow NUFC? When was the last time you were at St. James’ Park?
M: Yeah, I still follow Newcastle, in fact, I’ve been following the club since I left. I keep looking for news at some sites and in a Facebook community. Also, I’ve been in the town several times and always received a warm welcome from the fans, including last april, when I was able to watch the match against Manchester City at St. James’ Park (1-1 draw) and was introduced to the crowd at halftime. Even when I was coaching in Malaysia and in Saudi Arabia, I received a lot of letters from NUFC fans asking for autographs and things like that. Newcastle is a big part of my life and I will be always grateful to the club because today I’m recognized as the pioneer in terms of brazilians playing in english football, that’s thanks to NUFC.
FHS: What’s your opinion about Rafa Benitez and the job he’s doing at the club?
M: What to say about a manager of the class of Rafa Benitez? he’s a world-class manager who really knowns a lot about football, I just think it’s not the best fit for NUFC at this moment. I would like to see the club reviewing his concepts and doing a complete rebuild, searching a promising manager who’s looking to really prove himself and grow alongside the club in this journey back to the Premier League. But obviously Rafa has all the tools to have sucess and achieve the club goals in those very difficult times.
FHS: What’s the biggest differences from today’s team to the NUFC teams you played with? Do you see anything in common between then?
M: Well, the team I saw last april was completly different from the teams I was part of.. I didn’t see from this team the commitment with the club and the fans. They looked committed only to themselves, They attitude was something like, if they won the match, it’s good, if not, it’s good too, in fact it was the biggest negative I saw from this team. Look at Moussa Sissoko, he had a great European Championships with France and at Newcastle he walks on the field. In truth, it’s a big problem I have with some foreign players, especially brazilians and africans. When they have some sucess, they start to become accommodated and even lazy sometimes. It’s awful and I don’t see it happening with the majority of the british players. During my NUFC days, we had players who were always ready to give their all. The effort was really impressive. We had a fantastic captain in Glenn Roeder, who later became NUFC manager. He was amazing, knew like no other how to take the best from the youngsters and always took care of Gazza for us. He was a really friendly lad and a great defender. I think Jamaal Lascelles has some similarities in playing style with him, centre-backs with very good technique. John Anderson was another warrior, he never gave up. I remember Gazza suffering a big cut in his lower leg at one practice, and the stitches weren’t enough to solve it, but he found a way to wrap it and come back to training and was playing a match two days after it happened. So, that was the biggest difference I saw, today the culture is different and the game changed a lot too, hard to find a lot of things in common.
FHS: Some big clubs always were able to take advantage of their former players capabilities using it in their favor, hiring then as scouts, coaches, managers and even making then their presidents. FC Bayern Munich is an good example with Beckenbauer, Rummenigge, Hoeness and others. Giovane Elber and Paulo Sergio still have roles representing the club here in Brazil. Have you had an invitation from NUFC to have any of those type of roles?
M: When Sir Bobby Robson still was the manager, around 2003/04, I came to St. James’ Park and was welcomed by him. He took me to a stadium tour and showed me how it changed from the days I played there. After that, he made it known he would like to have me coaching the strikers at the club, but I was under contract as a manager in Saudi Arabia and the conversation ended there. I really regret not accepting the job, because it would let me do what I really like to, work with the players on the field. After that, in 2008 I was with former NUFC GM Dennis Wise here in São Paulo, watching the final of “Copa São Paulo” (best U21 football tournament in Brazil) and he also talked about the possibility of bring me to the coaching staff but it never materialized. I’m sure if Sir John Hall still was at the club, I would be working there because he was a person who really liked me and I helped him in his journey to become the commanding shareholder of NUFC. Unfortunately when he finally did it, I wasn’t at the club anymore, but i love NUFC and it would be wonderful to be able to help the club, no matter if working in England or here, in any circunstances it would be a pleasure. Today i’m working on one project, called “AFIMN”, Academia de Futebol Internacional Mirandinha Newcastle ( International Football Academy Mirandinha Newcastle). It’s a football academy where I’m searching and developing youngsters who can apply for european citizenship, with the intention of sending then to play in Europe. I’m already with 25 kids and hopefully I can develop one of then and send him to NUFC academy someday, earnig the attention from the club and maybe becoming a true team spokesman here.
FHS: If Rafa Benitez called you today and asked for one brazilian player who still plays here in Brazil, to be signed by NUFC tomorrow, who would be this player?
M: It’s tough because the best brazilian players are already playing in Europe and in the national team. I would go to the route of search young and less hyped players who have the european citizenship and fits the english style of football. Brazilians players surely have the talent to play there, but to play in England you need to be physical and give full effort, all the time. If you sign a lad only because he’s talented, or because he’s in the national team, you’re having a great chance of committing a big mistake. I would search those young lads, with the characteristics to play in England and the citizenship necessary to get the visa. Test them in big clubs here and then send them to Newcastle.
FHS: Do you still coaching, or only focused on this project those days? Talk about your coaching career…
M: My coaching career started in 1995 and in 96 I already moved to Al Hajer Club, from Saudi Arabia. There I stayed for three years and won the second division title. Came back to Brazil where I was the head coach of clubs like Goiania, Rio Negro where I won the Manaus regional championship, a title this club wasn’t able to win in 11 years, and Fortaleza, where I won another regional championship and led the team to a great campaign in brazilian cup and finally estabilished myself as a good head coach here. Had a lot of other jobs as a head coach/manager not only here in Brazil but also in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and last year in Sudan. I’m happy with my sucessful coaching career, but still studying and preparing myself for what’s coming next. Big challenges always were part of my life and I want more of those. God always blessed my work and I’m sure I will have my shot to become a great coach soon, and who knowns, maybe arose the interest of NUFC to continue my history there, this time as a member of the coaching staff. That’s a dream of mine, come back to Newcastle, the club of my heart in England.
FHS: I did some research and found some interesting things about your friendship with Paul Gascoigne, like his awesome talents to teach you the English language, please talk a bit about that…
M: Yeah, Gazza really became my “bad words teacher” (laughs). He was a really fun lad and we became good friends. Always was in my house to eat pork chops and brazilian food, he loved it. But those english lessons sometimes did put me in some bad situations (more laughs). I remember one occasion, right after my debut against Norwich City, we were hungry in the team’s bus and still far away from the stop where we could get some chicken chips, then Gazza came to me and said: “Mira, Mira, come to the boss and say this way, Mr. Willie, I’m f…ing starving!” (laughs). I paid attention to his message and said it to McFaul. Then the bus was all laughs, including the boss, but there i started to gain the sympathy of everyone. I made great friends at NUFC, Glenn Roeder, David McCreery, Michael O’Neill, Lee Clark, who was my apprentice and was a wonderful kid and obviously Gazza. I really miss those lads, they’re part of my life and i’m very happy with their friendship.
FHS: I want to thank you, it was an amazing conversation. Please, send a message to your Newcastle fans around the world.
M: I appreciate the opportunity and want to say thank you, not only to NUFC fans, who are the best in the world, but to all Newcastle citizens. Every time I travel to Newcastle, they receive me with open arms and made me feel really loved there. I even don’t desire to come back. Maybe someday I can move there, it would be awesome. Also, I hope NUFC can return to the Premier League at the end of this season and stay there forever, always fighting for titles. This club is a giant and can’t be in the Championship so many times. I’m rooting hard for then here and always will. Newcastle is a big part of my life and always will be in my heart.
