In the summer of 2003, it looked like Manchester United had completed the signing of one of the hottest talents in world football and a player who had all the attributes to become a legend at the club.
It turns out they had, but he was not the one they were expecting it from. Cristiano Ronaldo posed with a United scarf on the hallowed Old Trafford turf, joined by legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson and their other exciting summer acquisition, Kleberson.
Two decades on from his crowning moment, the Brazilian midfielder has gone down in history as the greatest warning against signing a player off the back of an impressive performance at a major tournament. His tale is a very timely reminder as the World Cup in Qatar begins.
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Kleberson had not only shone at the 2002 World Cup, he had won it, and he did so with a starring role in the final three matches of the tournament.
He did not feature in the first two matches at all, but featured in the next two from the bench. His first start came against England in the quarter-final, a match remembered for 'that' Ronaldinho goal. It is also fondly remembered as the day he established himself to the wider football world outside of his homeland.
Then 22, he bossed the midfield battle against Paul Scholes at the Shizuoka Stadium and went one better against Dietmar Hamann in the final.
Following the tournament, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari claimed Kleberson was the 'driving force' of the World Cup triumph and publicly declared him to be 'the first name on the team list, ahead of players like Ronaldo”.
Kleberson had earned his World Cup call-up thanks to his talismanic performances that led Club Athletico Paranaense to the Brazilian championship a year earlier, but following the victory, he was suddenly on the radar of every top team in Europe.
Barcelona were credited with strong interest, but the team most likely to make a deal were Leeds, who had just finished fifth in the Premier League. However, the young midfielder decided to stay at Paranaense in order to get more experience under his belt and, in part, because he was waiting for his girlfriend to turn 16 so he could marry her.
"I remember when I first heard United might want me," he told UTD Unscripted. "Earlier in 2003, I was playing in a friendly match for the Brazilian national team against France in Paris when I saw some rumours that United wanted Ronaldinho because David Beckham had left. These conversations started to drop my name in there and I remember Ronaldinho and Roberto Assis, his brother, came in the dining room one day and told me: “I think United have interest in you to go there too.”
Leeds retained an interest in the Brazilian youngster and tabled their own £3million bid, but by now his heart was set on a move to Manchester instead, as Sir Alex Ferguson looked to rejuvenate a midfield following the sale of Juan Sebastian Veron.
United agreed a £6.7m deal with Atletico Paranaense for the 24-year-old midfielder, who was set to become the first Brazilian to ever represent the club.
But he needed a work permit before he could be signed. Kleberson did not automatically qualify for one at the time because he did not meet strict government criteria requiring him to have played in 75% of his country's internationals over the previous two years.
He was eventually granted one when Ferguson turned up to the hearing in person to back up his argument and insist he would have a key role to play over the next few years.
"He is a young, athletic midfield player who can play in a number of positions," the legendary United manager said after his permit was granted. "One of the reasons we sold Seba Veron was because we knew we were getting Kleberson - that shows how highly we regard his talent."
For the youngster, it was a magical moment. He described it as the 'biggest opportunity of his life' and he quickly won over supporters with his admiration for the club.
"I had offers from other clubs but they weren't Manchester United," he said. "What I promise the fans is to give my all."
There was no doubt United had signed a top talent in world football, but the elephant in the room was the other Brazilian international that Ferguson was looking to bring to the club.
Having just sold David Beckham to Real Madrid, the reigning English champions were in need of a sprinkle of gold dust to replace him. All the talk was that they would move for Paris Saint-Germain ace Ronaldinho, with the signing of Kleberson seen as a sweetener in convincing him to move to Manchester.
There was a problem, though. Joan Laporta had just won a surprise majority in Barcelona’s presidential election and wanted to make an impact with a marquee signing of his own. Their top target had also been Beckham, but with the England star off to Real Madrid the back-up plan was a high-profile move for Ronaldinho instead.
United had not only lost their No.7, but they had also lost the man they wanted to replace him. They weren't the only ones who paid the price either. Kleberson had lost a key ally at the club who he thought was going to help him adapt to the culture shock of European football.
"Ronaldinho told me he was going to Manchester," Kleberson revealed to ESPN. "He kept saying to me, 'Come to Manchester!' I wanted to go, but I was reluctant because I didn't speak English and United didn't have any Portuguese speakers.
"Ronaldinho persuaded me and I went to Manchester. But he didn't.
"It was a big change for my wife and I, coming to England from Brazil. In some ways, I wish I was at United now, because when I went looking for Brazilian restaurants in Manchester back then, I’d be lucky if I found some rice and beans... the closest Brazilian restaurant was in London.
"When I had free time in Manchester, we walked or went to the Trafford Centre. Normally, because my wife was pregnant, we stayed inside our home and ate Brazilian food. The house was like a little Brazil, you know? No-one spoke English, we had TV from Brazil, games from Brazil on TV, cooked Brazilian food… we wanted to make it as close as possible to Brazil."
The sliding doors moment is that failed move for Ronaldinho did still help them replace Beckham. In the absence of the Brazilian star it was Ronaldo who got the opportunities, going on to flourish in the first-team picture and the exposure placed upon him.
For Kleberson, it was crucial he got off to a good start in his new surroundings not only to help him adapt but to also ease some of the pressure and expectancy that came with being a World Cup winner.
The same day Ronaldo excited fans on his debut against Bolton, Kleberson was left out of the squad entirely, and would also miss the next match against Newcastle as well.
His debut came in the third match against Wolves but he failed to impress and things were about to get worse. Kleberson dislocated his shoulder as United lost 1-0 against Southampton and would be sidelined until November. It meant he missed some favourable Premier League fixtures as well as a League Cup win at Leeds and the first three Champions League group games.
He was making up for lost time when he returned but he went about things like a man on a mission. He netted his first goal against Blackburn and rocked his arms in celebration just as compatriot Bebeto famously did at the 1994 World Cup. This one had more immediate results, though. In the midst of celebrating the goal, his wife went into labour.
Kleberson recalls: "I looked up at the fans while I celebrated and my wife was right there by the tunnel, but I didn’t see her. We won 2-1 in the end so, when I got into the dressing room, I showered, I relaxed, I took my time.
"I’d just scored my first goal and we won the game. As soon as I came out of the dressing room…'Let’s go! We need to go to the hospital! I think the baby’s coming now!
"That was such a special day for me. I never thought when I was young that I would play and score for a top team in Europe like Man United, become the first Brazilian scorer in a United shirt, and that my son would be born that same day."
Kleberson kept his place in the following weeks and notched assists in back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Man City, before scoring again during a 3-2 win against Everton.
The Brazilian drew attention with his enterprising work and energy in midfield, but his enthusiasm could not compensate for his flaws. There were concerns about how easily he gave up possession, and he struggled to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League.
His goal against Everton would be his final in a Manchester United shirt. With the midfielder out with a shoulder injury, Ferguson granted him a mid-winter break back to Brazil to spend time with his wife and child, hoping he'd return rejuvenated and better than ever.
When he returned, the manager tried shifting him out wide to relieve the physical pressures he was under, but the box-to-box midfielder struggled in his new role.
That would prove to be another boon for Ronaldo, who would later secure the right-wing position for himself. Kleberson had to settle for sporadic cameos in the middle and suffered another injury setback, limiting him to only 16 appearances in his debut season.
It wasn't much better for United either. They were knocked out of the Champions League by Porto and achieved their worst-ever Premier League finish under Ferguson, having to settle for third.
They did win the FA Cup, beating Millwall at the Millennium Stadium, but it was another day when Ronaldo took centre stage, with Kleberson missing from the matchday squad entirely.
"It's been really frustrating. I played a few games at the start of the season but then got injured," he reflected on his debut campaign.
"I haven't had a full run but I am just looking forward to next year. Next year I want to really help Manchester United. You've seen a little of me but not the full me. Next season the fans will hopefully see the real Kleberson."
Despite his poor debut season, Werder Bremen were interested in offering him a way out. Both the player and Ferguson rebuffed it, with neither ready to give up on his time at Old Trafford yet.
Kleberson was hoping to put things right in his second season but once again injuries took their toll. He missed the opening game of Brazil's Copa America win against Chile, but regained his starting role as they went on to win the trophy.
It looked like the perfect springboard for a successful second season, instead, it just made the eventual disappointment that much harder to take.
A knee injury saw him sidelined for the first three matches of the season and even when he did return to action he was way off the pace required.
"One thing that I struggled with personally were the injuries I had, which were pushing me back," he admits. "Then you lose time, you have to recover, then you have to get good physically, good technically. Then we had to come back and compete against Scholes, Butt, Giggs, Keane. Those guys had been in the team for many, many years, they knew what was required. As new guys, we came in like: “Ok, let’s play my style,” but it didn’t work out that way."
Heading into that second season, United had just sold Nicky Butt to Newcastle and moved Luke Chadwick on to West Ham, but the World Cup winner was still unable to justify his own role in the side.
"In the club at that time, we had players with great background – Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane – and they brought in young guys like me and Eric Djemba-Djemba to fight with those guys… it was not a fair fight, to be honest!
"Those guys knew how to play in the Premier League, they had grown up there. Me and Djemba-Djemba just had dreams of beating those guys, and they were very nice guys, very patient – saying that we were the future, trying to help us – but they were just too far ahead of us."
Kleberson would get a few chances in the early games of the season but never take them. He was substituted in three consecutive games against Blackburn, Everton, and Bolton, and even when he did start in cup competitions, he failed to impress.
"Roy Keane had a right go at Kleberson," former teammate Djemba-Djemba recollects. "Kleberson looked like he didn't want to play with his body language, and wanted to play slowly. I remember one Champions League game at Old Trafford, we went into the dressing room and Roy Keane was screaming at him! He said 'You need to wake up! You need to give everything, you need to tackle! Why don't you want to want to play? You just won The World Cup! What's happened? You need to play better!'
"It was definitely scary for Kleberson. He was always smiling, and was still smiling when Keane had a go at him, which would have made Keane even more angry."
He went six months between Premier League appearances for the club and even when brought back into the fray for the final few matches of the season he struggled again.
Kleberson started in a 2-0 loss at Norwich and a 1-1 draw with West Brom, with cameo appearances in wins over Newcastle and Charlton.
Once again, it was another season of failure for the club. They finished third in the Premier League again but this time didn't have a trophy to celebrate, losing the FA Cup final on penalties to Arsenal, being knocked out of the Champions League by Milan and the League Cup by Chelsea.
At the end of the season it was clear something had to change. Benfica and Celta Vigo both showed interest in signing the midfielder but it was Turkish side Besiktas who had the greater financial power to complete a deal.
Kleberson's wife wasn't so keen on the move, but she'd soon be persuaded. For her husband it was the chance of a fresh start and an opportunity for him to show Ferguson what he was missing.
"They said (Diego) Forlan was worthless in the Premiership but he has been a big success since," he said after arriving in Istanbul. "My aim is to do the same, and be a success in Turkey, and to show that I'm no failure.
"Ferguson is a good coach but he never showed any confidence in me after the first few months. He gave more opportunities to other players but not me and that kind of thing destroys the confidence of any player."
Now that the dust has settled, Kleberson admits that Ferguson probably had a point and instead his biggest regret is that he didn't stick around in English football longer to get another chance.
"One way I sometimes feel that I failed is that I should have tried to stay in England longer than I did before going to Turkey to join Besiktas. I had a good time in Turkey and enjoyed it a lot, people made me so welcome and happy, but if I had decided to stay in England and fight for a spot at United or go on loan to another club, that would have been the best choice for me at that time."
After spending two years in Turkey, he returned to Brazil, where he played for Flamengo, Athletico Paranaense, and Bahia before a loan move to Philadelphia Union and permanent moves to fellow American clubs Indy Eleven and Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
After his playing career ended, he returned back to Philadelphia Union as a youth coach, and earlier this year was promoted to the assistant manager of their second-string side.
He remains a United fan to this day and will be watching on closely over the next few weeks as Brazil go in search of their first World Cup trophy since his triumph two decades ago.
"People may not think it went so well for me at United, but I had a great time, enjoyed myself, made a lot of good friends and that’s one thing I’ll always remember. I hope to one day go back to Old Trafford but, even if I don’t, I’m happy with my story."
Even though he flopped at Old Trafford, nobody will ever be able to take away his starring role at the World Cup.
Though, with the next major tournament getting underway in Qatar, the story of Kleberson is a timely reminder that signing a breakthrough player doesn't always work out.
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