In 2010, coach Sir Alex Ferguson surprised everyone by signing an unknown Portuguese player who had just turned 20 years old.
It was Bebe, a striker who had only played six professional games. Only a few weeks earlier, Vitoria had paid £7.2m to sign him from an obscure Portuguese second division side. Even Ferguson admitted he had never seen him play before the deal to Manchester was finalised.
With a promising future, it seemed like this would be a great opportunity for Bebe to develop. But the next period at Old Trafford became a nightmare.
He made just eight appearances for the United first team, scoring two goals - one against Wolves in the League Cup and one in a 3-0 win over Bursaspor in the Champions League group stage.
Speaking to GOAL in 2018, Bebe said of his time at Old Trafford: "It's not that I don't believe in myself, but I know how life is going, and I think anyone would have the same thoughts as me.
When you're playing in the third or fourth division in Portugal and suddenly one of the best teams in the world comes to you, I think anyone would wonder, is this real?"
"Every day I was calling my agent to ask him to get me out of here. It was such a bad time. When you're not playing, even if you're at a great club, you're not happy, so why continue?"
Bebe went through a series of loan spells before finally being sold permanently to Benfica in 2014. According to the striker, the announcement to leave Man United came from a phone call with his agent while he was watching a Red Devils youth team match.
"It was the most amazing moment of my life," Bebe admitted without hesitation.
Reflecting on his career, Bebe says he doesn't entirely regret his decision to join Man United, as it gave him his big break in his twenties. In fact, the Red Devils' contract has given Bebe a lot.
Growing up in an orphanage and being abandoned by his parents at a young age, sometimes being able to provide a full meal was a precious thing for the Portuguese player. But Man United not only met the basic needs, but could bring things that Bebe could not even dream of. This striker had a car, a house, and could buy things that he could not have bought with the treatment of a Man United player.
"I don't regret anything. It was a very good decision for me and my agent. If I had the same spirit and mindset as I am sitting here today, I would definitely still stay. I would stick with such a team. But I had a different childhood to the people around me, and my attitude and thinking are also different."
"Saying those things now is useless, not that I regret it. But now, I would tell my younger self to practice more, focus more, and be more professional," Bebe shared.
Finally, the Portuguese player has found a long-term destination at Rayo Vallecano (La Liga). Previously, during his time with the Red Devils, he joined Rayo twice on loan, which was the premise for signing an official contract in 2018. This year, Bebe has just left the club and moved to Racing de Ferrol (Spanish second division) for the 2024-2025 season.
