Ex-Portsmouth and Swindon man Stefani Miglioranzi: I was a Brazilian in England wanted by Everton, Liverpool and Bolton - but my heart was set on wonderful Fratton Park

The appeal was obvious, Premier League giants Everton and Liverpool’s interest had been stirred, while Bolton also registered their intent.

In 1999, a clamour for the highly-regarded 21-year-old graduate from St John’s University in New York was developing.

Yet curiously it was a Division One club floundering in administration which would scoop their rivals for Miglioranzi’s prized signature – Pompey.

Remarkably, the cunning Alan Ball outmanoeuvred better-placed admirers to secure the midfielder not just once but twice inside five months.

For Miglioranzi, the Blues represented a more attractive option than Anfield or Goodison Park and, with hindsight, remains the correct decision.

‘At the start of 1999, I was on trial at Everton and, being in the early part of the year and Merseyside, the weather was terrible,’ Miglioranzi told The News.

‘I had been with the reserves for three months, while also had a few sessions with the first-team under Walter Smith, but the weather didn’t lend itself to me playing a game.

‘There were a couple of internal matches, but Everton wanted to see me in action before making a final decision – so organised for me to play for Pompey’s reserves.

‘It was against Tottenham at St Albans in March 1999, with Everton there watching as well. As I came off at the final whistle, I noticed Alan Ball standing next to my agent: “You will be in my team lad, come down to Pompey”.

‘Everton also offered me a reserve-team contract, but, as a kid coming out of the American university system aged 21, I wanted to play at the highest level possible.

‘As Pompey were in administration, I was restricted to signing a three-month deal – and within six days was on the bench against Sheffield United in Division One.

‘I had some excellent games at the tail end of the season and, now out of contract, returned to the States for the summer break, waiting to see what would happen next in my career.

‘Pompey were still in administration, the takeover by Milan Mandaric was in the works, and, while they wanted to sign me, it wasn’t definitive whether they could.

‘My agent was working to get me the right opportunity and I was presented with the option of joining Bolton, who I had faced in the final game of the season, with their keeper pulling off a worldie of a save to deny me a goal.

‘I accepted the move, but manager Colin Todd’s caveat was firstly he had to move on a couple of players before I could put pen to paper.

‘Next thing I know, I received a call from my agent: “Colin just called, he has apologised profusely, but he’s going to resign. There’s no contract for you at Bolton”. They had picked a house for me too!

‘That same summer, I also had the opportunity to sign for Liverpool reserves. I believed some Pompey games had been watched by their scouts and they thought enough of my ability that I was a consideration.

‘However, I had stayed in touch with Pompey and Alan Ball wanted me back. With the administration stuff now resolved, I instead signed a three-year deal at Fratton Park.

‘It never crossed my mind about how big Everton and Liverpool were, I just wanted to play – and the most realistic chance for me was Pompey.’

Miglioranzi grew up in Pocos de Caldas, 500km north of Sao Paulo, a small town situated in the mountains of rural Brazil, known for its coffee production, mining and agriculture.

A boyhood Flamengo fan, he honed footballing skills through playing futsal with Caldense’s youth team until the age of 10, when the outdoor game was introduced.

Then, in 1989, with Miglioranzi aged 12, the family migrated to the United States seeking better opportunities and settled in New York.

With the youngster’s footballing ability obvious, he won an athletics scholarship to Iona University, studying for a degree in sports management.

Having caught the eye as a freshman footballer, he was then recruited by St John’s University, where he won the 1996 NCAA Championship in his maiden season.

As Miglioranzi’s reputation began to soar, Italian citizenship was granted courtesy of grandparents on his father’s side, thereby opening the door to European opportunities.

The first step was Fratton Park, arriving in March 1999 and going on to make 35 appearances, scoring twice.

He added: ‘I never felt the pressure of expectation being a Brazilian in England. Although it’s funny, when I played well the Portsmouth News called me Brazilian – when I didn’t, I was an American!

‘Unfortunately, I was riddled with injuries during my time at Pompey, which kept me from achieving more there.

‘The first time I felt my right knee was against Charlton in October 1999, forcing me off towards the end of the game. At that point I had started nine of our opening 10 league games and everything was going well.

‘It turned out I had some cartilage at the back of my kneecap which had broken loose and was floating, causing my knee to lock.

‘Following surgery in Southampton, Bally had me back in the team against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane two months later.

‘With hindsight, I rushed to get back on the pitch when I should have taken a bit more time. After that, it became an ongoing knee issue with swelling problems.

‘It reached the point where doctors recommended that I seriously considered stopping playing for the health of my body and joints later in life. As I was still young, apparently I needed to consider whether I wanted to be able to walk properly.

‘It was valid advice, yet hard to take in when you’re just starting your professional career. Then my team-mate Thomas Thogersen told me of a doctor in Sheffield who had helped his knee issue, he swore by him.

‘Sure enough, I was diagnosed with pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), which is additional tissue growing around your knee joint following a traumatic injury.

‘The doctor burnt all that tissue off and, after surgery, reassured me I’d play until the age of 35 “no problem”. He was right too.

‘He saved my career. It became a way more manageable situation and I never missed time in England again because of my knee, although did pick up other injuries at Pompey and then Swindon.

‘To this day, I have no issues with my right knee. I play in a men’s league from time to time, I go on runs. I’m very fortunate.’

Another significant blow to Miglioranzi’s richly-promising Pompey career arrived in December 1999 with the dismissal of Alan Ball.

Replacement Tony Pulis never selected the midfielder for league duty during his nine months at the Pompey helm, albeit with availability also hampered by injury.

Miglioranzi then enjoyed a renaissance under Steve Claridge, finding himself a regular starter once more.

However, when Graham Rix became the Blues’ third manager of the 2000-01 campaign, he was again out of favour.

Miglioranzi added: ‘I was never Tony’s typical player, not that I wasn’t hard-nosed or able to get stuck in, but I wanted the ball, to pass and contribute to the game in that way, with maybe a little flair, not too much, not like a typical Brazilian.

‘Tony was good to me as far as treating me as a person, I had no issue with that, but it was obvious I wasn’t one of his favourites.

‘I never knocked on his door to ask why I wasn’t playing, I just wanted to prove through my football that I was good enough, but it never came off.

‘During Steve Claridge’s stint as manager, we even talked about a new deal and were close to finalising it for £1,300 a week. Then things went south, he was dismissed and it didn’t materialise.

‘I wasn’t a huge part of Graham Rix’s plans either, yet never had a bad relationship with any of those managers. It was a selection thing, I respected them.’

With his Pompey career petering out in the 2001-02 season, Miglioranzi enjoyed a curious swansong - a playing comparison with Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer.

Having replaced Rix as boss, Harry Redknapp’s second match in charge was a Fratton Park fixture with Burnley in April 2002, with the Brazilian named on the bench.

When Scott Hiley collected an injury in the 56th minute, Miglioranzi was introduced for his first Pompey outing in seven-and-a-half months – and at centre-half.

During his post-match interviews following a 1-1 draw, Redknapp branded the substitute’s performance as reminiscent of Beckenbauer.

Miglioranzi, though, would play one more minute for Pompey, before released three weeks later after little more than three years on the south coast.

He said: ‘People ask who was the best manager to work for and I wouldn’t be telling the truth if Harry’s name wasn’t in the conversation.

‘It was something about his presence, the moment he walked on the field everybody was elevated in terms of effort and concentration. He’d let you know if it wasn’t up to scratch.

‘The reserve-team coach, Neil McNab, had a huge belief that I could be a top centre-back and played me there quite a bit. Harry saw that ahead of the Burnley game.

‘I’m sure my father still has that clipping from The News. I was honoured and humbled to be likened to somebody like Beckenbauer. When that happens, you think “I’m going to be here for a while under this manager then” – but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

‘Harry was very open and honest with me once the season was wrapping up. He told me: “I think you’re a great lad, a really good player, but I have 46 pros on the books, your contract is up, I need to let you go”.

‘He continued: “If you can’t find a club, please come back, train here, we’ll help you whatever way we can”. He was very good about that.

‘You can't blame him, looking at the size of the squad and number of injuries I’d suffered, I can understand, even though I was much stronger and getting back to my best.

‘I joined Swindon that summer and the following season played 45 matches in all competitions.’

Arriving at the County Ground in July 2002 following a successful trial, Miglioranzi was handed a month-to-month deal over the campaign’s duration.

He would spend four seasons with the Robins, totalling 134 appearances and nine goals, before handed a free transfer in the summer of 2006.

Despite a move to Darlington next lined up, Miglioranzi impressed during a 10-day trial with LA Galaxy and opted never to return to England, going on to also represent Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union in the MLS.

In 2011, at the age of 35, he hung up his boots and has spent the last 10 years as a registered agent with First Wave Sports International, where he has progressed to president and part-owner.

‘People ask whether I regret the choices I made, turning down Everton and Liverpool reserves, yet it has gotten me to where I am now – and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I received,’ Miglioranzi added.

‘Maybe I was too humble a person to be a professional footballer. I look at fantastic players I played with, guys like Robert Prosinecki, and they had a single-mindedness and a self-belief that was extraordinary.

‘I believed that I could go in and work hard, making the best of the situation, but, with hindsight, maybe I didn’t believe in my talent as much as I should have.

‘Perhaps it’s a bit of insecurity, it’s an odd dynamic in my head, maybe it’s just my quiet nature.

‘Still, Pompey are a team really, really dear to me and close to my heart because they are my first professional club.

‘And that first year at Fratton Park was wonderful.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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