"Word spread that I had talent, Denilson recalls to FourFourTwo. People kept telling my dad to take me to a club, but he worked too much and barely had time. His weekends were precious, and when possible he'd come to watch me play. My godfather my dad's brother was in a better position financially, and his son Ricardo already played at a local football school, Pauliceia, in Sao Bernardo, next to Diadema."
"One day, the coach there, a man called Bene, asked my uncle if he knew of any talented left-footers who had been born in 1977. He thought of me immediately. I was taken along, did the trial and, according to him, Bene said, I asked you to bring me a kid to test, but you've brought me one who's already good enough to play."
"I still kept my passion for the varzea alive, but now I was also training with Pauliceia. Suddenly, I was playing in more organised competitions across the ABCD region Santo Andre, Sao Bernardo, Sao Caetano and Diadema representing the club in every corner. At one point, a select team was picked with the best players from the area and we travelled to Argentina to face Boca Juniors, River Plate and other traditional sides. We couldn't afford hotels, so the organiser arranged for us to stay with host families."
Denilson began playing on the dusty pitches of Diadema and attracted attention for his natural talent. His father worked long hours and could rarely take him to organised clubs, so a financially better-off uncle brought him to Pauliceia in Sao Bernardo. Coach Bene immediately recognised his quality and invited him to join after a trial. Denilson continued playing informal varzea matches while training with Pauliceia, representing the club across the ABCD region. He was selected for a regional representative side that travelled to Argentina to face Boca Juniors and River Plate, staying with host families due to limited funds.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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