‘Only later, when the press highlighted it, did I realise it was a world-record transfer fee. Honestly, I barely cared’ Denilson on what being the world’s most expensive player meant to him

Denilson scores a penalty for Real Betis against Sevilla in February 2000.

Brazilian winger Denilson is often cited as one of the biggest transfer flops in recent history, following the winger’s world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis in 1998.

That saw him break the record set by his international team-mate Ronaldo 12 months earlier and big things were predicted from the 21-year-old who had broken into the Brazil national side as a teenager and played in that summer’s World Cup final.