Rayo Vallecano forward Bebe was a figure of ridicule in England after signing for Manchester United in 2009.
The transfer certainly looked curious. Bebe, who had endured a troubled upbringing in his native Portugal and had lived in a homeless hostel under the care of the church after being abandoned by his parents, had been playing for a Portuguese third division team.
Within weeks, he signed for a small first division club, yet moved to Manchester United for a significant £7 million (Dh39.7m) fee without ever appearing for Vitoria de Guimaraes.
When Alex Ferguson admitted that Bebe was the only player who he had signed without seeing play live, it became even more curious, as it did when it turned out that Bebe had switched agents to work with Jorge Mendes just before his United move.
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It was widely reported than United’s former assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz, had recommended Bebe, yet when this writer asked Quieroz, he stated that he had no idea who the player was because he did not exist in the scouting files which covered the top 7,500 Portuguese players. At the centre of the farce was a human being.
Bebe did little in the few United games where he was given a chance to impress, yet behind the scenes, more than one United coach talked of his raw talent, his speed, acceleration and strength.
The problem was he had never been coached properly and was playing catch up with the rest of the team. He was a top-level footballer who could not play top-level football.
Bebe was loaned out to Turkish side Besiktas, where he barely played after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.
He returned to United and was loaned to Portuguese first division sides Rio Ave and Pacos de Ferreira, where, he stood out. He was a first division footballer after all.
Portugal’s biggest club, Benfica, signed him in 2014, only to loan him to Cordoba in Spain six months later, where he impressed in a struggling team.
Loaned to Rayo Vallecano for this season, he has again done well, scoring a wonder goal against Sevilla last month.
He has the confidence and patience of an attack-minded coach in Paco Jemez, who is playing him regularly, even though he knows Bebe’s game is not complete.
Bebe played well against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Saturday, regularly getting in behind Daniel Alves, one of the best right-backs in football.
It was during one such move that he set up a goal to give his side the lead before they were beaten 5-2 in a hugely entertaining match.
Jemez said of him: “He still switches off in games sometimes but he is reading the game a lot better and he’s realising that it’s that being able to interpret the play that is just as important as pure talent.
“I hope he can play for Portugal in the European Championship. No one would be happier than me if he makes it. He’s improving every day.”
That Bebe’s name is even being linked with the Portugal team shows his progress. He is 25 now, but his background and injuries mean he has spent much of his career playing catch up with peers who, in most cases, have been professionally coached since they were eight.
At Camp Nou, Bebe played only his 101st professional game – 200 less than players of a similar age.
He is no longer a baby, but Bebe’s time in Manchester served him well and while United will not be the beneficiaries of the time and money which they spent on him, they at least helped a previously underprivileged young man realise his talent.
Pressure mounts on Sociedad coach Moyes ahead of Levante match
David Moyes has not had a positive start to the season at Real Sociedad.
Fans hoped the Scot would push their side towards Europe, though the former Everton and Manchester United manager was always more circumspect given they had sold some of their best talent and that better resourced teams such as Sevilla, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia were all vying for those top seven places.
Still, they did bring Asier Illarramendi back from Real Madrid and signed the Brazilian Jonathas from Elche, who had managed 14 goals last season. He has scored only one for his new club and has been relegated to the bench, echoing the dreadful form of Icelandic striker Alfred Finnbogason last term who managed two in 25 league games.
One win from eight simply is not good enough for the Basques, especially when compared to their smaller neighbours Eibar who sit seventh and have only lost once in La Liga.
Six points from eight games is relegation form and Sociedad have scored only six times. It is not like they had played the best teams until they met Atletico Madrid at home on Sunday either, a game decided by a chipped goal from their former hero Antoine Griezmann (which, of course, he refused to celebrate) and a killer late second from a counter-attack after Sociedad had a penalty appeal turned down.
They also had more possession against one of Europe’s best teams and created more chances, but they could not score.
Vocal discontent is building among fans who have yet to see their team win at home this term. They are not happy with their British manager, but Moyes retains the confidence of club president, Jokin Aperribay, whom he speaks to every day.
Aperribay sees the hours he puts in behind the scenes, the commitment to bringing locally born youngsters through the ranks, but that will not be enough if his side are fighting relegation.
Moyes has some excellent players at his disposal, though a few of his veterans look finished. This Sunday brings a huge game for the Scot at 18th place Levante, who are also on six points with the same record from their games so far.
Lose and the pressure will increase. Moyes could walk away, and he has had several offers from Premier League teams, yet he is determined to see the job through which he started in Spain.
He has endured tough moments in his career so far and he will not step down, but the 52-year-old Scot is desperate for a change in fortune.
Game of the week
Celta Vigo v Real Madrid, second v first, on Saturday. They are the La Liga’s only two unbeaten teams and the Galicians, who ended Madrid’s title hopes in 2013 by beating them at home, defeated previous league leaders Villarreal away last weekend with a 90th-minute winner from man-of-the-moment Nolito. Not only is he scoring, but Nolito has made more assists than any other La Liga player.
The Villarreal triumph was a superb result and Celta have shown their quality by also beating Barcelona 4-1 at home. If they can beat Madrid then they will show that they can be serious contenders for a European spot. And that, in turn, will help them keep Nolito in the January transfer window.
Player of the week
Neymar, with his four goals against Rayo Vallecano, which took him straight to the top of the top-scorers chart with eight league goals so far. That is two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nolito and Karim Benzema. The Brazilian’s performance was about far more than goals though. He is pivotal to helping Barcelona win without the injured Lionel Messi, and he is selfless, too, as his assist for Luis Suarez’s goal on Saturday showed.
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