MANCHESTER UNITED’S last Champions League-winning No8 is now sporting a very different look to when he lifted European football’s biggest prize 15 years ago.
The Brazilian came up clutch for the Red Devils against Chelsea in Moscow, scoring in the penalty shootout after being thrown on by Sir Alex Ferguson.
His first season at Old Trafford ended in a Premier League and Champions League double.
And later in 2008 he was even awarded the prestigious European Golden Boy gong, won in the past by the likes of Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
The midfielder didn’t quite reach the heights that were expected of him after his impressive debut campaign at United.
But he did go on to play 181 times for the Red Devils between 2007 and 2015, eventually leaving to return to Brazil with Internacional.
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In total he won four Premier League titles with United, in addition to the Champions League, Club World Cup and a League Cup.
And he also earned eight caps for Brazil.
During his playing career he sported his hair in distinctive long braids.
His penultimate Man Utd appearance came in the infamous 4-0 League Cup drubbing at MK Dons, and by this point he’d chopped his braids off.
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Anderson now wears his barnet even shorter in retirement.
Now 35, he hung up his boots four years ago.
In snaps taken since his retirement he can be seen with virtually a buzz-cut.
He is also now clean-shaven as part of his new look.
Following the humiliation at the hands of MK Dons he played just 20 more minutes for United the following Saturday before never appearing in their matchday squad again.
In February 2015 he ended his Old Trafford first team exile by signing for Internacional in Brazil.
He went on to play 55 times for them during a three-year stint, also spending time on loan at Coritiba.
Anderson finished his playing career with a two-year stint in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, only playing 15 times before retiring.
Since hanging up his boots he has coached at Adana Demirspor, who are managed by Patrick Kluivert.
Earlier this year he was described as a “lazy party animal” by former Man Utd Power Development Trainer Mick Clegg.
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The ex-United coach said: “Anderson was more than capable of being an absolute stormer of a player. He just needed his head knocking. He didn’t keep fit.
“He chose not to put in the work, so it’s hard to have too much sympathy for him. He was a party animal.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
