Life at Manchester United wasn’t easy for Bebe, where expectations and standards were a lot higher than anything he had experienced.
The story of Bebe is widely considered the most bizarre transfer made by Sir Alex Ferguson, who had never seen him play.
A rapid rise through the top three tiers of Portuguese football led to a £7.4 million transfer to Manchester United, heavily brokered by the player’s agent Jorge Mendes.
Bebe made seven appearances for United, scoring two goals, before joining Benfica in 2014. At the age of 35, having played for several clubs in Spain, Bebe is currently starring for Ibiza.
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Bebe’s difficulties in Manchester
The former United winger doesn’t shy away from the fact that his time at Old Trafford wasn’t a success.
Well, perhaps it was from Bebe’s perspective, given the experience he gained.
To United fans, at least, the Portuguese winger is deemed a flop who was nowhere good enough for Ferguson’s side at the time.
It goes without saying that serious conversations must have been had with Mendes over his recommendation.
When asked about moving to Manchester, Bebe told Flashscore: “I went to England, where, where I arrived, it was considered one of the best teams in the world.
It was very difficult for a 21-year-old kid to adapt to the country on his own, and it was very difficult for me. I don’t regret it, because things don’t happen twice. Luck doesn’t knock on your door twice.
“But I think I needed a bit more experience, a bit more games played that I didn’t have yet, but these are experiences that remain with me. I learned a lot with a lot of players, with the coach and these are experiences that I keep.
“As I didn’t have so much experience, I think it took me a while to adapt, but I think that if I had stayed in Portugal playing for one or two more seasons, I would have arrived in a different way, but things happen for a reason, and I don’t regret it”.
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Sir Alex Ferguson helped Bebe
Players were loyal to Ferguson because he always had their backs.
That was also the case for Bebe, even though he didn’t hit the ground running after signing for United.
Bebe revealed that he rented a flat from Ferguson during his time in Manchester and what it was like to work with the legendary manager.
“The day-to-day with me was very good,” Bebe said of Ferguson.
“From the moment I arrived, the first year was a very interesting year because he looked after me a lot. He was always looking after me, he treated me very well during the time I was there. The first house I went to, I rented it from him, I stayed in his flat.
“He looked after me a lot, he gave me a lot of advice on what to do and what not to do. He always told me to look at the more experienced players, both on a day-to-day basis, as well as outside, as coaching, but I think being coached by him is like a source of pride and I think many people would like to have been coached by him and so I’m happy about that”.
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