"I thought, 'F*ck, Petr Cech is massive!'" – Anderson recalls four games that changed his life

After emerging as a prodigy in his native Brazil, Anderson was part of the team that finished runners-up at the U-17 World Cup in 2005, scooping the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He soon moved to Europe and won multiple titles with Porto.

A move to Manchester United beckoned in 2007. During an eight-year stint at Old Trafford, the midfielder helped the Red Devils to four Premier Leagues and the Champions League in 2008, the same year he was crowned Golden Boy. 

Anderson also played for clubs including Fiorentina, Gremio and Internacional. He won eight caps for Brazil.

Nautico 0-1 Gremio

November 26, 2005 Serie B play-off

“This game is everything in my life. It’s known as the ‘Battle of Aflitos’ [referring to Nautico’s stadium] for its insanity. It was my last match for Gremio, and we were down to seven men with 10 minutes of normal time remaining [after four late red cards resulted in a 25-minute delay]. Nautico had missed one penalty before that, then our goalkeeper saved another in the 15th minute of added time. The next minute, I broke away and scored the winner that secured promotion for Gremio! The club was going through a very tough spell, and its future would have been quite uncertain if we hadn’t gone up that day. I’d already agreed to join Porto, so winning that game meant a lot to me. I’m really glad to have contributed to the team that gave everything to me, in such an epic way. I was 17 and that Serie B championship turned me into a man. The ‘Battle of Aflitos’ will always be an eternal story in Porto Alegre, my home city.”

Porto 3-0 Nacional

March 5, 2006 Primeira Liga

“To play my first match at the Estadio do Dragao was unforgettable. It meant that I was fulfilling the dream of playing European football, and even better, doing it for a club where Deco – one the best players I’ve ever seen – had been. I’d already played a few games for Porto’s B team, but to come off the bench and step onto a pitch where other great names like Vitor Baia and Carlos Alberto had also worn that beautiful Porto shirt was one of the most special days of my career.”

Porto 3-2 Benfica

October 28, 2006 Primeira Liga

“This game has to be remembered, if not for positive reasons. We were 2-0 up after 20 minutes – Ricardo Quaresma and I had been putting on a show, given how well we were playing and how confident we felt at that moment. Unfortunately, I was on the wrong end of a sliding tackle from Kostas Katsouranis after 30 minutes and broke a leg. If it wasn’t for that injury, which kept me out for five months, I’m sure I could have had an even better career than the one I had.”

Man United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 pens)

May 21, 2008 Champions League final

“This was by far one of the happiest days of my life. I was substituted on in the final minute of extra time just to take a penalty in the shootout. I was 20, and responsible for the kick straight after John Terry had slipped and missed his chance to win the Champions League for Chelsea. That penalty was my only touch, because the referee blew for full-time seconds after I came on. Can you imagine the pressure that was on my shoulders? I got to the penalty spot and thought, ‘F**k, Petr Cech is massive’. Thankfully I scored, as did Salomon Kalou and Ryan Giggs, but then Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka. My first European honour crowned a fantastic first season at United.”