Edgar Aldrighi Junior.
Sometimes known as Dega, sometimes Edgar Junior and occasionally, just plain old Edgar.
And the mystique surrounding the man who made more than 100 appearances for Glory during the most successful period in the club’s history did not end with his name.
The midfielder was described by the man that signed him, legendary Head Coach Bernd Stange, as the most un-Brazilian Brazilian he’d ever seen.
For not only did Edgar Junior’s pale complexion and sandy hair render him more suited to the chilly climes of northern Europe than the sun-soaked beaches of Rio, he was also a long way removed from the stereotypical flair and flicks Brazilian midfielder so beloved by football fans around the world.
The man from the southern Brazilian city of Pelotas, however, brought other vital qualities with which he duly established himself among the pantheon of all-time Glory greats.
A defensive midfielder who excelled at breaking up opposition attacks, regaining possession and distributing the ball with precision, he was an absolutely integral figure in the engine-room of the Glory side which dominated the latter years of the National Soccer League (NSL) competition.
With the minimum of fuss, he provided the platform from which Glory could spring their attacks and provide Bobby Despotovski and Damian Mori with the service which enabled them to establish themselves as the most prolific strike pairing in the country.
Edgar Junior debuted for the club in the opening round of the 1999/2000 campaign and immediately became a mainstay of the side which reached the now-infamous Grand Final against Wollongong Wolves.
Along with Alistair Edwards and James Afkos, he was destined to miss a penalty in the shootout as the Wolves secured the unlikeliest of victories having trailed 3-0 at half-time and he tasted Grand Final defeat once again in 2002.
But there was to be a fairy tale end to the midfielder’s Glory career.
Despite battling injury problems throughout the 2002/03 campaign, he still managed to feature in the majority of games and was named among the substitutes for the eventual Grand Final.
His magical moment arrived late in the piece at Subiaco Oval, with Glory having established a 2-0 lead over Olympic Sharks to move within touching distance of finally breaking their Grand Final hoodoo.
Three minutes were left on the clock when he replaced Despotovski, receiving a standing ovation from the home fans in what would be his 116th and final appearance in purple.
The former Brazil Under-23 international continued his playing career in China before finally hanging up his boots in 2012, but there is surely no club at which he is more revered than Glory.
So whichever of his monikers you choose to use and whether you were fortunate enough to have watched him in person or not, whenever a Glory’s All-Time Greatest XI is debated, this un-Brazilian Brazilian surely has to feature in the conversation.
#ONEGlory
