FC Twente defender Douglas looks set to play at Fulham’s Craven cottage very soon. According to magazine Voetbal International, the Enschede club have agree transfer of £4.3 million pound. The Brazilian born defender has to agree on personal conditions with the London club. If Martin’s Jol’s side can’t reach an agreement, he could still play in the Premier League, since Newcastle United are interested as well.
Some months ago Douglas Franco Teixeira was critized by FC Twente chairman Joop Munsterman. The tall and strong defender was put back into the second team when he returned late from holiday leave. Douglas is known for his good marking and fast and physical play. He’s thought of as a guy who makes “war in the box” terrorising opponents whilst also being capable of heading goals in from corner kicks. It’s easy to see how he may adjust to the EPL level.
Since he was a little boy, Douglas dreamt of being a soccer player but he only started at age 17 to play serious football. His idols were Pele and Romario, the latter he could admire on television. His parents worked a lot and weren’t home much. Douglas grew up on the streets where he learned to play. Only two out of his twenty friends did not end up in the criminal scene or premature death. His nephew was invited to a football academy.
He was allowed to bring a friend, and that’s how Douglas’ career began. Joinville was his first club in his hometown Florianapolis, but he quickly made it to Europe. Since his debut in 2007 he has played 129 games and scored eleven goals for FC Twente.
The defensive anchor of Twente has felt at ease in the Netherlands were he lives with his Dutch girlfriend. He was rewarded with Dutch nationality (and gave up the Brazilian) last November. Holland are planning to put him in the Dutch national team and he has been pre-selected for the next World Cup qualification game against Turkey. In order to do this, he has to have played five years in Holland. By the end of this week, that will be the case. An ideal moment to play for a new club on a higher platform (read: with more financial possibilities).
It will be the first time a Brazilian player will be given the Dutch nationality and play for the Dutch team. There is a lot of fuss over the issue. Aside from the question as to whether you should permit foreign players to play for your national squad, think about this question: Is this guy that good, or do Holland merely have defenders of poor quality?
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