Cameroon timber
Denilson became the world’s most expensive player in 1998
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The history of South American football is packed with players who dragged themselves up from the most humble of beginnings and played their way out of poverty and onto the world stage.
Former Brazil winger Denilson is no different, with his journey from the dusty pitches of Diadema to becoming the world’s most expensive player, a classic of the genre.
It’s a story of family sacrifice, making the most of opportunities and growing responsibility.
Denilson on his humble beginnings
Denilson first played on the dusty pitches of Diadema (Image credit: Getty Images)“Word spread that I had talent,” Denilson recalls to FourFourTwo. “People kept telling my dad to take me to a club, but he worked too much and barely had time. His weekends were precious, and when possible he’d come to watch me play. My godfather – my dad’s brother – was in a better position financially, and his son Ricardo already played at a local football school, Pauliceia, in Sao Bernardo, next to Diadema.
“One day, the coach there, a man called Bene, asked my uncle if he knew of any talented left-footers who had been born in 1977. He thought of me immediately. I was taken along, did the trial and, according to him, Bene said, “I asked you to bring me a kid to test, but you’ve brought me one who’s already good enough to play.”
Denilson alongside Ronaldo during a Brazil match (Image credit: Getty Images)“I still kept my passion for the varzea alive, but now I was also training with Pauliceia. Suddenly, I was playing in more organised competitions across the ABCD region – Santo Andre, Sao Bernardo, Sao Caetano and Diadema – representing the club in every corner.
“At one point, a select team was picked with the best players from the area and we travelled to Argentina to face Boca Juniors, River Plate and other traditional sides. We couldn’t afford hotels, so the organiser arranged for us to stay with host families.
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“That’s when something funny happened: the family who took me in thought I was an orphan, and by the end of the trip they wanted to adopt me! Of course, I had to politely turn them down, explain that I had a family back in Brazil and return home.
“Soon after that, we were invited to a tournament in Caraguatatuba, taking on the local side and the giants of Sao Paulo – Palmeiras, Corinthians, Santos and Sao Paulo FC. I stood out, and that’s when the latter came calling.
“At just 12 years old, I joined their academy setup without even going on trial. I still remember my very first session at the Estadio do Morumbi – I was kitted out head-to-toe in club gear, with a proper pair of boots handed to me. For a kid from Diadema, it was pure dreamland.
Denilson would go on to win 61 caps for Brazil (Image credit: Getty)“Moving into Sao Paulo at 12 freed up more space at home for my siblings, since I lived in the club accommodation underneath the stands at Morumbi. Dozens of kids chasing the same dream shared dormitories stacked with bunk beds. The club provided food, education and lodging, meaning one less mouth for my parents to feed. I’ll always be grateful to Sao Paulo, since they cared deeply for their academy boys.
“To my relief, I didn’t suffer too much with homesickness. The secret was that I loved playing football too much. I was already doing it every day in Diadema, and now I was doing it at a massive club with proper facilities. I ate well, slept in my own bed – life was bliss!
“Responsibility arrived naturally as I grew, surrounded by a winning culture. The competition toughens you up little by little. My memories are of enjoying myself during the week doing what I loved most, then going back home at weekends to be with my parents.”
For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
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