As Newcastle United continue their resurgence under Eddie Howe, two players who have established themselves as huge fan favourites on Tyneside are Brazilian midfield partners Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton.
They aren't the first hailing from the South American football hotbed to have turned out for United. Fans will remember Fumaça, Claudio Caçapa, and Kenedy who all caused rather less of stir at St James' Park. For the first samba star in black and white, you have to go back to August 1987.
Bought from Palmeiras for £590,000, Francisco da Silva - known to one and all as Mirandinha - was effectively the replacement for the departed Peter Beardsley at a time when foreign players were a rarity in the domestic English game. Not only was the international striker United's first Brazilian, he was the first from that nation to play in professional English football.
READ MORE: Legendary Newcastle music venue to get blue plaque next week
It's 35 years since newly-signed Mirandinha was paraded around the touchline at St James' Park by manager Willie McFaul before an inauspicious 1-0 defeat to Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. There was much excitement among fans at the prospect of a footballer from the land of Pele, Zico and Garrincha joining the Magpies.
His debut came a few days later in a 1-1 draw at Norwich City, while his first goals were a brace scored in a 2-2 draw at Manchester United in mid September. As a player, Mirandinha was certainly no Pele, but he was fast, direct, and had an eye for goal.
Fans in the Gallowgate End took to wearing sombreros (actually Mexican in origin) in honour of their new favourite, and he was rewarded with a memorable terrace chant. “ We’ve got Mirandinha, he’s not from Argentina, he’s from Brazil, he’s ******* brill", based on the old party tune I Came, I Saw, I Conga'd .
The 1987-88 season saw Mira notch 13 goals and there were some exciting moments alongside Paul Gascoigne as United finished in a respectable enough 8th place in the league. The following season saw the wheels come off for the striker and the team (minus Gazza who had left for Spurs in a British record record deal).
The player's occasional moodiness and frequent reluctance to pass the ball were ill-suited to a team which soon found itself in a bitter relegation battle. He scored 11 times, including a penalty in a rare win at Liverpool, but after just two seasons at St James' was sold back to Palmeiras as the Magpies plunged back into the second tier at the end of a desperate campaign
Mirandinha, now 63, hung up his playing boots in 1995, later coaching and scouting in various countries, and helping develop a football museum in Brazil. Years after leaving Tyneside, he told the Chronicle : “Newcastle was the best experience of my life. They have the most faithful fans I’ve ever seen. For Geordies, Newcastle United is a religion. Even now I come across crazy fans wanting to take a picture with me.”
Events coming full circle, when Bruno Guimarães - signing for Newcastle earlier this year - was told about the first Brazilian to play for the club back in the '80s, he said: "I would like to send my best regards to Mirandinha."
READ NEXT:
The 1970s TV series The Paper Lads that was set on Tyneside
Tynemouth's Grand Hotel is marking its 150th anniversary
Then and Now: St Cuthbert's Village, Gateshead
How 50,000 people watched Concorde swoop in Newcastle for the first time 40 years ago
