By Nadji Grizzle…
Remember our former player Juan Maldonado Jaimez? I forgive you. Even those closely affiliated with Arsenal may have a hard time recalling the payer, so you can be forgiven as well. The once promising left-wing back made just two appearances for the club in his three years before suffering a serious knee injury.
The Brazilian started his career in his homeland with Sau Paulo before Arsenal signed him in 2001. He made his first appearance in November of that year against Grimsby in the League Cup and three months later appeared again in the FA CUP 5th round against Gillingham. He was due to make a third appearance against Sunderland in the third round of the League Cup but unfortunately suffered his injury prior to.
When news of a more severe diagnosis surfaced, that essentially signaled the end of his Arsenal career. The player was sent for a short loan to Millwall in 2003 where he spent two months making three appearances.
That concluded his England stint, and the player returned home to Brazil where he remains today. He has been a success in Brazil to large accounts, appearing regularly and getting on the score sheet for his various clubs.
Fluminese signed the player from Millwall, and Maldonado managed to get into the team, making 42 appearances and scoring a goal. A year later, he joined Flamengo, the club where he enjoyed the most success. In his four season as the club, he made 148 appearances scoring 14 goals and also managing to get two appearances for Brazil in 2008.
In 2011, he returned to Sau Paulo but was subsequently sent on loan to Santos for a season. He broke into the side helping them win the 2012 Sau Paulo State Championship. He returned to Sau Paulo the following year and made 31 appearances before leaving for his current club Vitoria on loan.
His contract with Sau Pauloa ended at the end of last season and he is currently training with the Vitoria and is expected to resign. He is 34 now and on the tail end of his career but has managed to become successful in his home land. He is quite decorated having won a plethora of titles so it is a shame injury interrupted his Arsenal career.