9) Juninho – Middlesbrough
Just like in Zola’s mould, Juninho was a player who by all intensive purposes was too small and too lightweight to succeed in the Premier League. But just like the Italian, he had magic in his feet. During three spells with the Tyneside club between 1997 and 2004, (a period where he also picked up 49 caps for Brazil) Juninho entertained the North East with his wonderful vision and unrivalled creative spark. The defining memory of ‘The little fella’, as he was affectionately known, is of him crying on the pitch following ‘Boro’s relegation in 1997. He still came runner up in the FWA Player of the year award that season.
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