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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Ed McCambridge

‘I didn’t understand what Roy Keane was shouting at me, so I just told him about winning the 2002 World Cup in Portuguese – he looked so confused!’ Kleberson on the language barrier that kept Keane and Fergie hairdryers at bay at Manchester United

STOKE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Kleberson and Cristiano Ronaldo pose for photographers on the pitch at Old Trafford on August 13, 2003 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images).

One of the toughest things for any player to get to grips with, when coming to the Premier League, is the language. Almost everybody speaks English, even the foreign stars, and so it’s vital you learn quickly.

Yet Kleberson, who joined Manchester United from Athletico Paranaense in 2003, at the age of 23, actually found the language barrier helpful on a couple of occasions.

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