Gérson
For the first five years in professional football, he rose continuously through all ranks. Less than a year after his debut with Flamengo in 1958, he already made his appearance in the Brazilian 'amateur team' at the Pan American Games in 1959, where the team finished second behind champions Argentina. A year later, he was the cornerstone on the side of the field when he competed in the soccer tournament at the Summer Olympics in Rome. By now, he had developed into the absolute controller of Flamengo's midfield and began to take over the role of the lapsed Didi within the Brazilian national team. After spending five years with Flamengo, he decided to leave for another top club from Rio de Janeiro, Botafogo. This was home to one of the best players Brazil has ever known, his other childhood idol Garrincha. His big dream of playing with him, and Pelé among others, at the 1962 FIFA World Cup was shattered when he suffered a very serious knee injury. Forced surgery made it impossible for him to take part in the global tournament in Chile which was eventually won for the second time by Brazil. The injury meant that his career would never be as successful as he had been given in advance. At Botafogo, he continued to play for most of his career and also managed to win many awards. He then played another stint with São Paulo before concluding his career in Rio de Janeiro with Fluminense. His heart is still with the latter club, even though he only played here for a fairly short period. He stopped at a relatively young age because his knee started to hurt, but his fear of flying also played a role, if possible he always took the car to travel.