Meeting Mirandinha: Newcastle United icon on Gazza and moment Magpies tried to sign him back

Mirandinha has revealed that refusing to take up Newcastle United's offer to sign him back in 1990 remains the biggest regret of his career.

Born in the Fortaleza neighbourhood of Aerolândia, Mirandinha's background was one of poverty but he would go on to rub shoulders with Brazil stars like Dunga and Muller while also becoming a star in English football. His early years at St James' Park would see him be taught "naughty words" by team-mate Paul Gascoigne while he was also introduced to fish and chip suppers en route back from away games on the team bus, a far cry from the steak and rice Brazilian cuisine but the Newcastle icon told me: "They were just great days!"

It was in 1987 that Newcastle and Mirandinha made history by luring the first Brazil international to the top-flight with fans celebrating by donning sombreros and the club shop selling half-and-half Brazilian/United scarves and hats. During that first campaign in 1987/88 the striker scored 13 goals and Newcastle finished a respectable eighth in the old First Division.

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However, his second season was tougher as Newcastle sold his best mate Gascoigne and the club tumbled into the old Second Division after failing to replace the England international. As Mirandinha returned to Newcastle to raise awareness of Rotary International's Global Polio Eradication programme, which aims to rid the world of the deadly disease, the South American underlined the importance of his work with the organisation.

However, the stop in Newcastle also sparked fond memories for Mirandinha and included a visit to St James' Park and the club's training ground this week. Before he jetted back to Brazil, Mirandinha sat down with Chronicle Live to talk about his career. When Mirandinha signed from Palmeiras in 1987 for £575,000 there was a genuine buzz around the city as the flamboyant star got to grips with English football.

Mirandinha had already scored against England at Wembley in the Rous Cup so when Newcastle managed to sign the star, thanks to a big push by his agent Humberto Silva and former Newcastle number 9 Malcolm Macdonald, St James' Park fans could not wait to see him in action.

My own personal memories of this time hark back to the days of Panini stickers with Mirandinha commanding some tough negotiations in school playgrounds on Tyneside and sometimes demanding a return of up to eight swaps to land the exciting new signing. Back then he stooped down to pose for photographers in Newcastle's old Umbro shirt with the now iconic NUFC 80s badge on it, and gave the look of a man ready to pile agony on defences.

That was in 1987 and fast forward to 2024 as I make my way to meet the man himself I see Mirandinha, now 65, in a busy reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. As check-out time coincides with a business conference, and company representatives frantically rush for lunch in the middle of all the chaos, I see a similar pose to that Panini sticker.

Because there he was, Francisco Ernandi Lima da Silva, or better known to Geordie fans as "Mira", standing with his case ready to head home to Brazil - and looking like the coolest man in the room. The same superstar from that elusive Panini sticker still had the same aura around him the day he was unveiled as Newcastle's new number 9 all those years ago.

Within minutes of talking to Mirandinha the warmth of the man is evident and those meeting him for the first time are put at ease. And 37 years on from signing for United, it is abundantly clear that his two years at St James' Park still mean a lot to him.

Mirandinha told Chronicle Live: "I was very excited to make the move at that time. I went to Newcastle as the first Brazilian to play in the English top-flight. I never expected to be in that situation because at that time Brazilian players moved to Spain, Italy or France, but not to England. I was selected over a lot of other players to sign for Newcastle.

"I was told: 'This will be the best move for you because the fans so excited and they will give you a lot of support'. The city gave me a lot of encouragement to settle here and I loved it. Looking back on it I think I did a big job."

Mirandinha took a couple of games to get going on the scoresheet at Newcastle but a brace in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford to deny Manchester United wasn't a bad start. Over time, it was clear that his relationship with Gazza was something special for him and the Newcastle faithful.

The former Brazil international said: "My relationship with Gazza was very good. Gazza was a player I had a close relationship with - he gave me English lessons! At the beginning, it helped me, I had so many good moments with him. Gazza would come to my house and eat Brazilian food with me.

"He gave me a lot of support to me to make me happy and help me relax at the club. All the people involved at that time I received a lot of care from them. I still speak to them now people like Gazza, Darren Jackson and John Anderson.

"That is very important. A player who has come from Brazil needs care and that was very important."

Newcastle would finish eighth in Mira's first season but a dramatic twist in the tale would unfold in the summer of 1988 as Gascoigne was sold. The former Palmeiras star said: "Gazza for me was one of the best midfielders I ever played with. I played in Brazil with a lot of good players.

"But Gazza for me was the best partnership I had. We had a great rapport in the team and outside of the football field as well. That's why now I hope he comes back and recovers from all the problems he's had in the past. He is a very good boy.

"He has done good for himself but what I remember about him is he always did a lot of good for others, he wanted to help you. Certainly for me, he did a lot of things."

The Magpies then used the money to sign Wimbledon pair Dave Beasant and Andy Thorn, Hearts striker John Roberston and John Hendrie from Bradford City - but the foursome did not make an impact.

Looking back on finishing in the top eight in 1987/88, a big achievement at that time, he said: "We had a very good season that year. After that the club made changes and we had a very bad season.

"We sadly dropped from the First Division and the players who had signed after Gazza left, they did not play well. They don't have the same performance that were there before them. That's why our coach Willie McFaul lost his job and Jim Smith came in. We never played the same football as we did before."

Mira's second season saw some flashes of brilliance and extreme highs, such as scoring in front of the Kop in a rare win away to Liverpool, while he also scored twice in the Tyne-Tees derby to beat Middlesbrough 3-0. But relegation would spell the end for the Brazilian star in 1989 - despite attempts by the club to bring him back six months later.

Speaking on the club's relegation in 1989, which sparked fan protests and St James' Park boycotts, Mirandinha said: "It meant I had to leave the club. It was on loan to Palmeiras again because Newcastle had conditions to keep me for another season."

However, United's attempt to lure Mirandinha back in early 1990, with a return to the top-flight looking a possibility, fell flat after financial issues. The former Toon striker told me he was open to a return and said: "I had everything prepared to come back again. I made the wrong decision to go back to Palmeiras after they signed me again permanently."

What is also not lost Mirandinha is what happened a couple of years later when Kevin Keegan, who was impressed by the Brazil striker at Wembley as he watched as a guest that in the Rous Cup, teamed up with Sir John Hall. On leaving Newcastle, Mirandinha said: "I always say this was my biggest mistake in football. Remember not too long after that Sir John Hall took over the club and signed Kevin Keegan as manager.

"At one stage Newcastle had everything ready for me to come back in the Second Division. But I stayed in Brazil. They wanted me here again and you never know but I decided to stay in Brazil because I was fighting for my place at Italia 90 in the World Cup.

"I was wrong and didn't go! I feel disappointed with myself at that moment for not coming back. That's football, sometimes you do something wrong and you pay for it. This is what I think when I look back.

"I was wrong and I didn't get the chance to go to the World Cup. It meant I missed the chance to sign for Newcastle again and who knows I could still be here in the city now!"

To read more on Mirandinha's work as an ambassador to help end polio around the world go to this site.

Don't miss part two of the Mirandinha exclusive as he gives his verdict on Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes on Chronicle Live.