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Bebe in action for Rayo Vallecano.

Here’s what you could’ve had, Man Utd – Bebe just scored a worldie in Spain and we are speechless

Mitchell Wilks •

On a night where Manchester United flattered to deceive once again, it was the wildest Red Devils alumni you could possibly think of who stole the headlines elsewhere with a wonder goal.

As a part of any potential renovations at Old Trafford, builders should incorporate a huge pit of sand for supporters to bury their heads in after the inevitable disappointments that United provide them with.

Erik ten Hag’s side were picked off with worrying ease as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 derby victory, United’s recruitment and general footballing operations becoming the subject of debate – again – after the match.

With every defeat comes a greater desire to return to the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson, where star signings did the business and unknown stars almost always turned up and became greats.

We say almost for a reason – because Ferguson signed Bebe in 2010.

Infamously snapping up the Portuguese winger who came from a background of homelessness before rising through the ranks, Ferguson actually didn’t meet Bebe until the day he signed and only completed the deal on the recommendation of his former coach Carlos Quieroz.

And judging by how off the pace Bebe was upon arrival, that was bound to be the last time he took his advice on transfers.

Somehow the Portuguese forward remained on the books at United until 2014 despite never looking up to the required level virtually from the off, and has been forgotten about by most in the time since, with it being much more fun to laugh at the Red Devils instead.

While we’ve all been pointing the finger at United though – particularly this season – a now 33-year-old Bebe has quietly been outscoring the Red Devils’ entire front line.

No, seriously. That’s what it’s come to.

He’s not just outscoring them, either. He’s nestling in worldies so good they’ll leave you wondering ‘what if?’ which is exceptionally dangerous thinking about a player who wasn’t even worth the seven appearances he made for United.

Sorry, that’s the Bebe? Cutting inside, dropping a shoulder and rifling one into the bottom corner like a prime Cristiano Ronaldo?

Correct it is. We’re still stunned too.

Show United after a terrible day at the office like the one they had against City and it might just tip them over the edge.

That absolute peach of a strike was Bebe’s second La Liga goal of the season with Rayo Vallecano sitting pretty in eighth, firmly embroiled in a tussle for European football.

Crucially, his two league goals means he’s got more than Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Anthony Martial, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Jadon Sancho combined this season so far.

We weren’t kidding. That’s the kind of stuff that’ll send your head to another planet with anger.

Let’s give Bebe his flowers, though, for both that beauty of a goal and the lengths he’s gone to in a bid to make a success of his career post-United.

It’s his second goal in a week for Vallecano, where he plays alongside fellow United flop Radamel Falcao. The old guard aren’t doing too badly after all.

Shaking off such a poor reputation that he’d developed by 2014 was no mean feat, but he’s managed to do so tremendously.

His rise from being abandoned as a child and raised in the church, to making it at United and then being cast aside as a flop, to the subsequent career revival shows a tremendous desire to succeed.

It’s a shame the same can’t be said about his former employers right now.

By Mitch Wilks

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