Flashback Spitting the dummy out
It’s not every day that you get a World Cup legend knocking on your door asking you for a game.
And it’s not every day St Mirren can afford to turn them down... but then again could they really afford to?
Back in 2000, with St Mirren battling against relegation to the First Division, Tom Hendrie was on the hunt for some much-needed firepower.
The signings of Mikael Renfrum and Graham Fenton had done little to shoot Saints up the table, while Jens Paeslack, well he went away...
So, everyone knows that St Mirren wanted Ronaldinho. And the old story goes that red tape got in the way.
However, Saints were also on hand to turn down striker Bebeto – despite being willing to pay the wages of the veteran striker.
But first, they wanted him to come Samba star
St Mirren FC is a club with a proud tradition — and a history to match.
They have been at the centre of the Scottish game since their formation in 1877.
Today, we look back at Saints’ ambitious attempts to sign Brazilian World Cup winner Bebeto
in on trial. At 37-years-old, though, you can perhaps see Hendrie’s logic.
Famous for his rocking baby celebrations, Bebeto was also known for his nack of scoring goals. He had been prolific at the likes of Flamengo and Vasco da Gama in his homeland, while a successful stint at Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna showed he could also cut it in Europe.
But perhaps his best days were behind him... and perhaps he knew it when he refused to prove his fitness. Though, that doesn’t exactly clarify why Hendrie thought to compare him to... eh... Tommy Turner.
“The player is 37 and he was not prepared to come and allow us to assess his fitness and what condition he is in,” said Hendrie.
“His agent said that his reputation should be enough for us to sign him without seeing him and we simply couldn’t get ourselves into that position. Bebeto is not playing at the moment after playing in Japan following his release from Vasco da Gama in Brazil.
“He is not signed to a club and it would have been easy to bring him in – it is not a publicity stunt.
“He was a fabulous player, but his main contribution to the Brazilian squad was in 1994 and there is a big difference from then to now.
“Our defender Tommy Turner is proof that some players can play in the first team at 37, but some players can’t. You have got to ask if he is good as he once was.
“If he was, I would imagine that teams in Brazil would be falling over themselves to offer him a contract.
“Everybody is looking to push a striker on to us, but we are not prepared to take just anyone.”