Player Profile : Eder

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A quality left winger with a thunderous left foot, Eder is best known for his role in the greatest team never to win the world cup - the Brazilian's of 1982. Along with Zico, Socrates and Falcao, he made up the famous four attack that made people fall in love with the game. They were so good people almost wept with joy. Who can forget his strike against Russia - Falcao dummying the ball through his legs for Eder to flick it up and lash it home past a static Rinat Dasaev ? Or the goal against Scotland, known and imitated in playgrounds up and down the country as "the Eder chip". And then there's the free-kick against Argentina, a swerving Exocet that nearly broke the crossbar. Roberto Carlos ? Pah ! Eat Eder's pants.

Apart from short periods in Turkey and Paraguay late on in his career, Eder spent the majority of his career in his homeland Brazil. Amazing really that a player of his quality and profile didn't come over to the big money of Italy and Spain in the early 80's. He started out as an 18 year old with a small club from Belo Horizonte, America Mineiro, well known for its decent youth team setup. He started to make a name for himself following a move to Gremio, winning 2 state championships with the Tricolors and earning himself the nickname O Canhao, "the Cannon", a reference to his ferocious left foot. Eder made his national debut whilst at Gremio with a match against Paraguay in May 1979, but it was after his move to the famous black and white stripes of Atletico Mineiro in 1980 that he really made his name. Playing alongside fellow Atletico legends Toninho Cerezo and Reinaldo (aka "The King"), his form propelled him to the forefront of the national team and he went on to earn 52 caps in total, patrolling the left wing for one of the most exciting teams in football history. 5 state championship medals followed between 1980 and 1985 at Atletico, with the club also coming close to the national championship in 1980 (2nd) and 1983 (3rd). It was one of the best periods of the club's history, with Eder at the heart of it. Staying loyal to the club and turning down the advances of big money moves abroad made him a genuine legend amongst the Mineiro fans. At a personal level Eder won the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) in 1983 (an award given by the Placar magazine to the best players in each position).

Eder was still a big part of the national team after 1982. In a team missing Falcao, Cerezo, Zico and Socrates, he starred alongside Roberto Dinamite in the 1983 Copa America championships, scoring a late equaliser in the semi-final against Paraguay, but losing out in the final to an Enzo Francescoli inspired Uruguay. There was huge disappointment in 1986, when Eder, along with fellow winger Renato Portaluppi, missed out on the World Cup finals in Mexico for disciplinary reasons. Still only 29, he would not play for Brazil again, his last game being against Peru in April, a few months before the tournament kicked off. His move away from Mineiro kicked off a series of transfers all around Brazil, including Palmeiras, Santos and two more spells back at Atletico Mineiro. He may of ended up with a list of clubs as long as his arms, but his love for the game could never be doubted, and any player who carries on playing into his 40th year commands some respect.