| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manoel Pereira | ||
| Date of birth | (1927-01-03)January 3, 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Biguaçu, Brazil | ||
| Date of death | 23 April 1985(1985-04-23) (aged 58) | ||
| Place of death | Matinhos, Brazil | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1939–1940 | Flamengo-SC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1941–1943 | Lauro Müller | ||
| 1944–1946 | Palestra Itália-PR | ||
| 1946–1951 | Avaí | ||
| 1952–1959 | America-RJ | ||
| International career | |||
| 1956 | Brazil | 6 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 September 2023 | |||
Manoel Pereira (3 January 1927 – 23 April 1985), mostly known by the nickname Leônidas da Selva, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.
Nickname origin
Manoel earned the nickname "Leônidas da Selva" from journalist Sandro Moreira, a joke on the player's physical resemblance to Leônidas da Silva, but having a totally ferocious style of play on the field (in Portuguese, "Selva" means jungle).
Career
Started his career in Santa Catarina, played for Flamengo de Estreito and Lauro Müller. After, played for Palestra Itália de Curitiba and Avaí FC. In 1952, arrived at America, a club with which he had national recognition which earned him six call ups for the Brazil national team in 1956.
He scored an unusual goal on an America trip to Turkey, where he scored with his heel, supporting his body weight on his hands.
Honours
Brazil
- Taça Oswaldo Cruz: 1956
- Taça do Atlântico: 1956
America
- 1955 Campeonato Carioca runners-up
References
- "Seleção Brasileira (Brazilian National Team) 1953-1956". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- "Leônidas da Selva e o gol de 'bananeira-calcanhar'". Edição Norte (in Portuguese). 16 February 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
External links
- Leônidas da Selva at ogol.com.br
- Leônidas da Selva at WorldFootball.net