Brazilian striker Jonathas has detailed how he endured a miserable trial spell with Fulham earlier in his career as he looks back on his various clubs.
The 34-year-old has been speaking to Onda Cero about his career to date, which has seen him play all over the world, including a brief spell at Craven Cottage.
He initially started with Cruzeiro in his homeland before moving to Alkmaar U21’s in October 2008. He remained there for three years before moving to Italy with various clubs and then Spain in July 2015.
A move to Russia came a year later before he returned to Europe with Hannover 96 in Germany, a spell which lasted two years before he become a free agent in August 2019.
He later returned to Elche in Spain before moving to Sharjah FC in the UAE Pro League before a spell in India with Odisha FC and then a return to Brazil.
One country he never made it to was England, but it seems that wasn’t for a lack of trying, with the player revealing how Mino Raiola tried to place him at Fulham.
“Mino Raiola took me to try Fulham, where I stayed for a couple of weeks,” he said of his spell at Fulham.
“Again, the cold, cloudy days. I spent the day training in the gym, it seemed that I was preparing to fight instead of playing soccer. I got very strong, but I didn’t want to stay.
“One afternoon, Vicenzo Raiola was on the phone with the president of Latina in Italy.
“And in the background, I said: “Tell him to sign me up.” The president asked who was speaking and when Vincenzo said it was Jonathas, he put his hands free.
“He asked me to go to that team and I told him that I didn’t have money for what he was earning, and he replied that no money, but that I was going to play a lot and that the offers would come later.
“We hung up the phone and the next day he was there. It was a great decision.”
