Anderson

At 36 years old, Anderson has this physical status:

Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira (born 13 April 1988), commonly known as Anderson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder.

He is best known for his tenure with Manchester United. Born in Porto Alegre, he began his career with Grêmio, joining the youth team before rising through the ranks.

His goal against Náutico during the 2005 play-offs earned Grêmio promotion to the Brazilian Série A. In January 2006, Anderson moved to Porto.

There, he won the Primeira Liga twice, along with the Taça de Portugal and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira during the 2005–06 season.

After 18 months in Portugal, he joined English club Manchester United, with whom he won the Premier League title four times, as well as the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, two League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup and two FA Community Shields.

He fell out of favour at Manchester United following the departure of manager Alex Ferguson in 2013, and spent the second half of the 2013–14 season at Fiorentina before returning to Brazil with Internacional in January 2015.

He went on loan to Coritiba in 2017, before returning to Europe in 2018 with Turkish side Adana Demirspor.

After a year there, Anderson retired from football in September 2019. Anderson made his Brazil debut in 2007 during the 2007 Copa América, which they went on to win.

He also played for the Brazil Olympic football team during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, helping them secure the Bronze medal.

Personal life

It was reported that Anderson was hospitalised after a serious car crash in Portugal on 31 July 2010. He had spent the night before at a nightclub before leaving in his Audi R8. The crash occurred at 7 am when the car came off the road and hit a farm wall before entering a field. Anderson was unconscious but was pulled from the car minutes before it exploded. Another man and a woman were also in the car. All three suffered minor injuries and were treated for whiplash, concussion and shock at a hospital. Anderson returned to United to continue his rehabilitation.

Anderson refused to take a breathalyser test during the early hours in his native Porto Alegre and police forced his bodyguard to drive him home a week before his 24th birthday.

Anderson's father died at the age of 41, when Anderson was 14. He has three siblings. Anderson has five children – three daughters and two sons.

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Club career

Anderson, a born in Porto Alegre, joined Grêmio as a youth player. In a 3–1 loss to Internacional in the Brazilian Série A, he made his first appearance for the team on October 23rd, 2004, where he scored a goal from a free kick. Grêmio was relegated at the end of the season, but Anderson followed the team to the Brazilian Série B.

In June 2005, GestiFute, a Portuguese company, had paid €5 million for 65% of Anderson's economic rights. Anderson was reported to have signed a pre-contract with Portuguese side Porto on June 18, 2005.

Anderson earned himself a legendary role by scoring the goal that pulled Grêmio back to Serie A in a promotion playoff against Náutico in November 2005. This goal was particularly memorable because Grêmio only had seven players on the field at the time, and the opposition had just seen a penalty saved. Grêmio won 1–0 in the most unlikely of circumstances thanks to the goal, who scored 16 minutes into extra time.

Anderson signed Porto for a €7 million transfer fee in January 2006, three months before his 18th birthday. Anderson's mother, Doralice de Oliveira, moved to Portugal to prevent him from moving abroad, as FIFA has forbidden the international transfer of any underage players (subject to the exception that the player is moving to other countries to accompany their parents). Porto held 55% of the financial rights, from which Porto would receive 65% of the player's future transfer fee.

Anderson made his league debut for Porto on March 5th, 2006, while helping the team win the Primeira Liga Championship in 2005. He made his UEFA Champions League debut against CSKA Moscow in Porto's first group game against CSKA Moscow in 2006. Anderson was forced to miss five months of the season due to a broken leg, but not before that tackle by Benfica midfielder Kostas Katsouranis. Despite his injury, he played in 15 games in the 2006–07 season, scoring two goals and winning a league-winners' medal as a result. In total, he made 21 starts for Porto in all competitions.

The Manchester United website announced on May 30th that the club had agreed to sign Anderson from Porto for an undisclosed fee. Anderson's initial request for a work permit was turned down on the grounds that he did not have enough international caps. Manchester United's subsequent claim that only his youth barred him from obtaining more caps and that, given his exceptional talent and the size of the transfer fee, clearance was justified. He was granted a work permit to play in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2007, and Anderson's move to become United's second Brazilian player after Kléberson was completed on July 2nd. Porto's transfer fee was €30 million, or about £20 million as of July 2007.

Prior to joining the club, Anderson was friends with Portuguese-speaking new teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. He was given his number 8 shirt, previously worn by Wayne Rooney, who renamed him to number 10, and made his Manchester United debut on August 3, 2007, playing 45 minutes of a pre-season friendly against Doncaster Rovers, which lost 2–0.

Anderson made his competitive debut against Sunderland on September 1st in 2007, before being recalled at halftime and swapped by striker Louis Saha, who later scored the game winner. Anderson scored on his debut against Sporting Clube de Portugal in a 0–1 away victory on September 19th, being a substitute for Ryan Giggs in the 76th minute. Anderson played the entire 90 minutes in a 2–0 loss to Coventry City on Sunday, his first appearance in a team made up largely of youth and reserve players.

Anderson was brought on as a replacement in the final minute of extra time to replace Wes Brown, and he converted United's sixth attempt in the penalty shootout in Moscow in 2008. United defeated Anderson 6-5 on penalties to earn his first European honour of his career.

Anderson received the 2008 Golden Boy Award on December 6, 2008. Anderson appeared in 88 minutes of the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup final against LDU Quito, which United won despite only one Wayne Rooney goal winning the world championship. Anderson played in the 56th minute of the 2009 League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur on March 1, 2009, replacing Danny Welbeck. In the penalty shootout, he earned his first League Cup medal. United needed just one point to win their third successive Premier League title and Anderson's second in two years at the club on May 18th, in the penultimate game of the season against Arsenal. In the final minute, Wayne Rooney was brought on to help United lift the trophy at home against their ferocious rivals.

Anderson scored his first goal for Manchester United in the Audi Cup friendly tournament against Boca Juniors on July 29, 2009. Anderson stepped up and curled the ball into the far top corner of the goal with his left foot after United were given a free kick on the right side of the penalty field. In his 78th game for Manchester United, Anderson scored his first competitive goal against Tottenham in his first competitive goal against the club on September 12th. He grabbed a loose ball at the edge of the field and smuggled the ball into the bottom right corner with his left foot, scoring United's second goal in a 1–3 league win over White Hart Lane. Anderson was reported to have returned to Brazil without manager Sir Alex Ferguson's permission in January 2010 and fined £80,000 by Manchester United.

Anderson returned to the first team for a match against West Ham United on February 23. But, after only 20 minutes of the match, Anderson fractured the cruciate ligament in his left knee and had to be replaced by Park Ji-sung. After figuring that he would be out for the next six months, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the season and 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Anderson had returned to training after a series of injuries and being involved in a serious car crash, according to Sir Alex Ferguson on August 20th. He returned to action in the 3–2 home win over Liverpool as an 88th-minute substitute on September 19th. Anderson scored his first goal at Old Trafford and also the club's first European goal in a 1–1 draw with Valencia on December 7.

Anderson agreed to a new 4+12-year deal with United on December 15th, which will keep him at the club until June 2015. Anderson scored twice in a 4–1 second leg semifinal home victory over Schalke 04 in the Champions League, raising his United goal tally in a single game. United's cumulative score stood 6–1 to United, and the game also reached the final for the third time in four years. He scored just his second league goal for United, equalizing against Blackpool on May 22, the last day of the league season, in a match that United defeated 4-2.

Anderson opened the season with the 2011 FA Community Shield, which resulted in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City. He also started the first three games, a 2–1 triumph over West Bromwich Albion, a 3–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at home, where he scored his first goal of the season, and an 8–2 victory over Arsenal, where he assisted on Danny Welbeck's opening goal.

In a 2–0 home win over Norwich City in the Premier League, Anderson scored his second goal of the season. On 68 minutes, he broke the deadlock after a corner was knocked back across goal from six yards. Anderson suffered his knee during a match in the Champions League, effectively ending him out until February 2012. Anderson made a surprise return on December 31 in a 3–2 home loss to Blackburn Rovers, who came on as a second-half replacement. Anderson was pushed further into injury, but he was forced to miss the remainder of the season.

Anderson was back in the 2012-13 season, delivering an early highlight in his third round League Cup match against Newcastle United on September 26, 2012, when he scored an outstanding opener in a 2–1 victory. In a match against Chelsea on October 31, he maintained his form into the next round of the League Cup. He earned three assists in the 80 minutes he played while still on the field, with United winning 3–2 and losing 5–4 after extra time. He continued to impress when given the opportunity, and has received accolades for a substitute role in the 3–1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford. "Anderson changed the game," Sir Alex Ferguson said.

Anderson scored his first league goal of the season on December 1, 2012, beating Reading 4–3. Despite his excellent start to the season, Anderson sustained a hamstring injury early in the game and was forced to leave shortly before halftime. In a 2–1 win over Southampton at Old Trafford on Sunday, Anderson played 68 minutes on his return from injury.

Anderson was in full 90 minutes in Sir Alex Ferguson's last match as Manchester United boss, a 5–5 draw with West Brom at The Hawthorns on May 19th.

Anderson joined Fiorentina on loan for the remainder of the season after falling out of favour under new Manchester United boss David Moyes, who only played eight games in the first half of the 2013–14 season. Anderson made just seven appearances for Fiorentina during his five-month loan, three of whom were from the bench. He returned to Manchester United at the end of the season.

Anderson did not qualify for the 25-man team that traveled to the United States for United's pre-season tour, but he was forced to cancel due to a calf injury he sustained during training. Anderson was given the number 28 shirt under new boss Louis van Gaal, with Juan Mata having taken the number 8 when signing in January 2014. In a 4–0 loss at Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup, where he played the complete 90 minutes, his first appearance of the season came in a 4–0 loss. Anderson was in just one more game for Manchester United after this, a 0–0 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor. During the January transfer window, Anderson finally parted with Manchester United by making the switch to Internacional on a free transfer.

Anderson ended his 7+12 years with Manchester United by signing with Internacional in Brazil on a four-year contract on February 3, 2015. "Sport Club Internacional announced the signing of midfielder Anderson on Tuesday, according to a note on Internacional's website. He has been on a four-year contract.

Anderson missed a penalty kick against Cruzeiro in the Campeonato Gacho on his debut for Internacional. Anderson was called out after 36 minutes and required an oxygen mask due to the fact that La Paz's Estadio Siles was 3.68 kilometers above sea level in his second match, a 3–1 loss to The Strongest in the Copa Libertadores on February 17th.

Anderson was suspended in Inter's 1–1 draw with Ypiranga de Erechim on April 1st.

Anderson made his first Campeonato Brasileiro appearance for Internacional in the team's opening game of the 2015 season on May 10th; a 3–0 loss at Atlético Paranaense. In a 1–3 home loss to Atlético Mineiro on July 5th, he received his second red card for the club.

Anderson was suspended at halftime on 8 August in a 5–0 loss to his former club and Inter's Porto Alegre rivals Grêmio. He was then threatened and insulted by the club's fans at training on Monday and was booted from Inter's starting lineup for the upcoming ten league fixtures. In a 3–1 loss to Santos on September 27th, he returned to the team and remained a regular starter as Inter finished fifth in the league.

Anderson joined Adana Demirspor in TFF First League on July 30, 2018. He made 14 appearances in his first season as a player. He started the first game of the 2019-2021 season but was forced to leave early in the game; then, he skipped the next two completely. Anderson had decided to leave football on September 20, according to the Adana Demirspor president.

Anderson also announced his retirement from football in September 2020.

International career

Anderson competed for Brazil in the South American under-17 Championship in April 2005. He appeared in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and won the Golden Ball as Brazil finished second.

Brazil was in danger of losing the tournament after losing in the first round to Gambia, but Anderson helped to turn around the team's fortunes against the Netherlands. Anderson did well against the Dutch, giving crosses and runs that aided his team. Anderson maintained his form after that, scoring one goal and playing a key role in several others, including setting up Ramon for the first strike against Korea DPR in the quarter-finals. Anderson, who was leading Brazil into the final after a 4–3 win over Turkey, had only been in the final for 15 minutes before being stretchered off.

Anderson made his international debut with the Brazilian senior team in their 2–0 loss to Mexico in the 2007 Copa América, defeating them as a second-half substitute. In a 3–0 victory over Chile on July 1, 2007, he made his first appearance for Brazil against Chile.

Anderson was named in Brazil coach Dunga's 18-man squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in July 2008. In Brazil's second group match against New Zealand, he scored the country's first goal, beating them 5–0. Brazil took bronze medals after beating Belgium 3–0 on August 22, 2008.

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