'I'm Man Utd's biggest flop – I would fly to Portugal on days off but don't regret it'
Manchester United fans won't be shocked to hear that Sir Alex Ferguson flop Bebe wasn't fully focused on the club during his four-year stay
Infamous Manchester United flop Bebe has revealed he'd fly back to Portugal on his days off - but has no regrets.
The winger, now 33 and captain of La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, went down in Premier League folklore for all the wrong reasons during his ill-fated four-year spell at Old Trafford. Signing as an unknown entity for £7.4million, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted the transfer was a "gamble".
It's one that didn't pay off, with Bebe making just seven senior appearances for the Red Devils. Having grown up in an orphanage and only previously played professionally in the Portuguese third tier, it proved to be a step too far for him.
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Reflecting on his time at the club nearly a decade on from his 2014 departure, he explained to ESPN how it was all too much for him to handle. "If I knew then what I know now, I'd have been [at United] for many more years," he said.
"I'd sleep more. I wouldn't do so many crazy things. When I had a day off, I used to take a plane to Portugal. I'd look after myself more as a professional, look after my body, focus on football. I was there, but in my head, I was on holiday with my friends."
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While he acknowledges he should have been better behaved in England, Bebe wouldn't reverse the decision to leave his home country aged 20.
"But I don't regret it," he continued. "You have to think, I went from having nothing, in an orphanage, to a place with the biggest stars in the world. They were the best team around at that moment.
"I think it's normal that a 20-year-old kid gets a bit lost. I didn't have a father. I didn't have my mother or my grandmother to say 'No, don't do that.' It was me, and I did whatever I wanted."
After flicking between clubs he's found a home at Vallecano, who are comfortably mid-table in Spain's top flight, since 2018. And he's switched his international allegiance to Cape Verde, scoring five goals in 14 games after making his debut last year.