World Cup-winner Roberto Carlos is set for a Sunday League appearance in Shropshire after signing for Bull In The Barne United.
The 48 year old is to make a return to action next month for a Shrewsbury-based Sunday League club, named after a local pub.
He will be playing for them for just one game after winning a charity ‘Dream Transfer’ raffle on eBay, which also saw East Sussex team Pevensey and Westham land the services of former England forward Eni Aluko for one fixture.
The Shropshire side paid just £5 to take part in the competition, so all eyes will be on them with fans going down in anticipation of the footballing legend’s appearance.
OFFICIAL! The Man, The Myth, The Legend will join Bull In The Barne United for one extraordinary game of football. Dare I say the best Sunday League transfer in history 👀Welcome to Shrewsbury! Welcome to the Bull! #dreamtrasnfer #Transfers #transfernews #TransferWindow pic.twitter.com/dVwGSfJ5LQ
— Bull In The Barne United (@BITBUnited) January 31, 2022
@BITBUnited unveiled the exciting news, saying via their Twitter account: “OFFICIAL! The Man, The Myth, The Legend will join Bull In The Barne United for one extraordinary game of football. Dare I say the best Sunday League transfer in history 👀Welcome to Shrewsbury! Welcome to the Bull!”
Carlos said in a statement: “I’m excited to play for Bull in the Barne in Shrewsbury, paying homage to when I nearly signed for Birmingham City in the 90s, which is very close by.
“I’ve heard that the team’s been down a number of players this season, so here’s hoping my training is enough to help them up their game and bring what Bull in the Barne’s fans want to see!”
Bull in the Barne manager and goalkeeper Ed Speller said: “Roberto Carlos is one of those legends who’s inspired so many young players’ love of the game.
“My jaw absolutely dropped when we found out Bull in the Barne won the Dream Transfer and he’ll be playing alongside the team in Shrewsbury.
“It should be a right laugh for him to come see what we’re made of, with some tense free-kicks and hopefully no dodgy tackles!”
Money raised from the raffle, open to anyone associated with a Sunday League team and costing £5 to enter, is going to Football Beyond Borders, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people in the community.
“You pay £5 to enter the raffle for a chance to have a pro sign for your team. One of our lads said in a group chat ‘let’s just give it a go’ and we ended up winning it,” striker and club secretary Matthew Brown told BBC Radio Shropshire.
“On Friday afternoon, our manager, Ed Speller, sent a message to say we won the competition and none of us believed him. We thought he was having us on.
“I went out on Friday night and woke up with a bit of a sore head on Saturday and I had messages from people saying ‘is it true about Roberto Carlos?’ and at that point I was thinking ‘it can’t have happened, it’s just a dream’.”
“We play on a pitch next to Hanwood Village Hall. The changing room is proper Sunday league, pretty basic, a couple of the showers don’t work,” Brown added.
“There has been talk of moving the game somewhere else because the car park is tiny.
“Our usual crowd is mostly just a couple of family members, but we do have two parents, Mr and Mrs Turrall, who are there rain or shine watching us.”
“He’s probably one of the best left-backs the world has ever seen,” Brown said.
“Liam Turrall is in my opinion the best left-back in Shropshire but he’s probably going to have to take one game out for us – he’s a cracking player but Roberto Carlos is another level.
“One of our lads decided a couple of weeks ago that he wasn’t fit enough to do it any more and retired, but he’s regretting his decision now, I think.
“I can imagine we’re not going to be struggling for players for the next couple of weeks as they try to get into Ed’s good books.”
“I think he can speak English, eBay released a couple of videos – but I don’t know if he’ll understand the Shropshire accent,” Brown joked.
Twitter users reacted with the World Cup-winner Roberto Carlos set for Sunday League appearance in Shropshire…
@martinberry17: Good luck. Just make sure you get the International Clearance from the FA…….. I am being serious
@N100CKA: Bitter sweet for your current LB!
@ANDYW4LKER: Be reyt pissed off if I was the LB for the Bull In The Barne United
@JordanBartley54: Would love to see this chap in the flesh where and when can I come down to watch?
@LokomotiveReab1: Congrats! Shame we didn’t win, been searching for a replacement for @Hazza_Warren for years! Hopefully it will be us as opponents that day!
@Jonesy1490: Best get his form round Tony Davies’ house by 7pm tonight or he won’t be allowed to play
@PrestonParkFC1: Congratulations on your signing and I believe Chris Kamara will be the commentator for the match so I guess sky sports will film it?
@SportsMadMCR: Will he be doing photos and autographs for charity?
@AliceCM_26: Incredible! When and where will this be played, would love to come and watch!
@kieharper1986: Where will you play the game , surely there will be a massive crowd for it
Unbelievable lads! He is coming…🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/N79024Xb62
— Russian Non-League Football (@RUSNLF) January 31, 2022
@nat9426: Surely he’s number 6!
@bassking67: Let him take the free kicks ⚽️ 🍌
@Barness_J: Bull In The Barne United better at signing players than West Ham United
@liapetalks: roberto carlos is going to shrewsbury. let that sink in for a moment.
@uptonjack47: Make him run the line first half, proper Sunday league experience
@NikkoGo: Best #DeadlineDay Signing
@SaintEvenageFC: Didn’t need him anyway, we got @kaisbfc
@OllieBillingham: Carlos may pass through Telford. Mad.
@JackyT87: This is probably one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen! 😂
@jaredwj1994: Unreal that just imagine turning up on a Sunday knowing your playing football with Roberto Carlos 😂😂 would be absolutely mental
@rosstafer94: Absolutely amazing 😂😂😂 a Brazilian legend playing for one of my local pubs
@R__Evans: These lads signed more players in January than Arsenal
@RobJones_11: 100% gonna score a 45 yarder past us the rat
@Shooey_: Absolute scenes!!!! #salop
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