Twenty five years ago, £2m was a decent chunk of money in the world of Premier League transfers. Newcastle United, when parting with that amount of cash, thought they may have picked up a future star who could be worth significantly more in the future.
His name was Diego Gavilan and he arrived from Cerro Porteno in his native Paraguay during the winter transfer window. Yet, in a tale as old as time, it was a familiar case of a South American failing to adapt due to the severity of the British weather.
“Apart from the language barrier, the toughest things to get used to were the weather, the style of play, and the physicality. I left Paraguay during the summer for Newcastle in the winter, when it was at its coldest,” Gavilan told RG.
“I had to adapt to the direct style of play in England that’s predicated upon physicality and winning second balls. I also weighed 70 kilos at the time, so entering a Newcastle squad mainly composed of guys who were 30 or older was not easy.
“The style of play was totally different to South America, and it was tough for a lightweight, albeit quick players like myself to adjust.”
Gavilan arrived with a big reputation, having been dubbed the ‘Paraguayan David Beckham’ in his homeland. Yet his progress by halted due to a certain Nolberto Solano keeping him out of the team.
The midfielder also felt the full force of a crunching tackle in his first encounter with Manchester United, as hardman Jaap Stam welcomed him to the Premier League. At that point, Gavilan realised he may not be cut out for football at this level.
In total, he made just eight appearances for Newcastle, scoring once in a win over Coventry City. His second biggest black and white achievement was persuading Miguel Almiron to join the club years later.
“I felt well-prepared for the move to England, even though I was very young, but I didn’t really get chances to play due to having high-level competition in Nolberto Solano, which was tough to overcome,” he added.
“Perhaps with a bit more mental strength and patience, I’d have stayed in Europe for longer. Perhaps with a bit more playing opportunities, I could’ve done a lot better in England. However, given what I was able to achieve in Brazil, I don’t regret leaving Newcastle one bit.”
Gavilan went on to play for Internacional, Newell’s Old Boys, Gremio, Flamengo and a host of other South American clubs after his short-lived Newcastle stint.
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