Kléberson playing for Flamengo in 2010
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | José Kléberson Pereira | ||
Date of birth | 19 June 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Uraí, Brazil | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
Playing position | Midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1999–2003 | Atlético Paranaense | 100 | (12) |
2003–2005 | Manchester United | 20 | (2) |
2005–2007 | Beşiktaş | 45 | (3) |
2007–2012 | Flamengo | 63 | (9) |
2011 | → Atlético Paranaense (loan) | 18 | (2) |
2012–2013 | Bahia | 19 | (2) |
2013 | → Philadelphia Union (loan) | 11 | (1) |
2014–2015 | Indy Eleven | 21 | (8) |
2016 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 5 | (0) |
National team | |||
2002–2010 | Brazil | 32 | (2) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 November 2014. |
José Kléberson Pereira (born 19 June 1979), commonly known as José Kléberson or simply Kléberson, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for the American club Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League. He played for Brazil 32 times and was part of the squad that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Kléberson was born and raised in the provincial town of Uraí in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. He began his football career with Atlético Paranaense. There, Kléberson won the Paraná State League in 2000 and 2001, and the Brazilian Série A title in 2001. His performances for Atlético Paranaense led to Luiz Felipe Scolari calling him up to the Brazil national team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
His World Cup performances led to Scolari declaring Kléberson the driving force behind Brazil's cup-winning side, and drew interest from several European teams; Barcelona, Newcastle United, Leeds United and Celtic all expressed an interest. Leeds, failed to secure the signing after Kléberson decided against leaving Brazil without his girlfriend, who he was unable to marry until her 16th birthday, and eventually it was Manchester United who signed Kléberson, paying a fee of £6.5 million on 12 August 2003. Seen as a replacement for Juan Sebastián Verón, Kléberson was injured in his second appearance for the club and made only 20 appearances in two seasons. He scored two league goals in his time at Manchester United, both coming in home wins against Blackburn Rovers and Everton.