Source: Daily_Mail
From Rio to beach - Arsenal's Eduardo erasing memory of THAT tackle
From sleeping in a store room to scoring an FA Cup wonder goal after recovering from a broken leg: it's been some journey for Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva.Arsene Wenger made the Croatia striker his captain for the Gunners' 3-0 win over Burnley yesterday and Eduardo justified his manager's sentimentality by scoring one of the 'goals of the season'.'It was as if Eduardo was playing football on the beach,' said Wenger after the striker's left-footed slice shot doubled Arsenal's lead against their Championship opponents. Beach volley: Eduardo scores his innovative goal against BurnleyBorn in Rio de Janeiro in February 1983, Eduardo played for CBF Nova Kennedy and Bangu Atletico Clube in his native Brazil before moving to Croatia aged 15.The striker joined Dinamo Zagreb in September 1999, apparently spending his early days at the club sleeping in a store room at the Maksimir Stadium. Arsenal 3 Burnley 0: Eduardo's wonderful goal has fans in aweArsenal boss Wenger raves at returning hero Eduardo's 'goal of season' volley'Ridiculous' Eduardo will never lose his touch - we'll be flying when I join him back in Arsenal team, says WalcottVIDEO SPECIAL: Finishing school - Sportsmail celebrates 10 super strikesARSENAL FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NETHe took Croatian nationality in 2002, allowing him to represent the national team, and was named player of the year in the country in May 2004, repeating the feat in 2006.Domestic championships followed for Eduardo and Dinamo Zagreb in 2006 and 2007, as the striker finished as the league's top-scorer, and Eduardo-inspired Dinamo also won the Croatian Cup in 2004 and 2007. In 104 appearances for Dinamo, Eduardo scored 73 goals. Wouldn't Arsenal love that sort of firepower now? English test: Eduardo takes on John Terry (left) in a Euro 2008 qualifier for Croatia in Zagreb in October 2006The striker came to the attention of Arsene Wenger in August 2006, when he scored Dinamo's only goal in a 5-1 loss at the Emirates in the Champions League third qualifying round. It was the first goal scored in European competition at the Emirates and it convinced Wenger that Eduardo was a 'dangerous' player.A year later the Frenchman signed him, paying £7.5million to bring the striker to north London on a four-year deal. Off the mark: Eduardo scores his first goal for Arsenal, against Sparta Prague in August 2007Eduardo's application for a work permit was initially rejected as he did not meet the required criteria of 75 per cent of international appearances since 2005 ( he had only featured in half of Croatia's games, making 12 appearances and scoring seven goals when he became an Arsenal player), but the paperwork was completed after Arsenal appealed.Eduardo took time to adapt to the pace of the English game but found his form by Christmas 2007, when he scored six goals in four hames for the Gunners. Painful memory: Martin Taylor goes in high on Eduardo in February last yearBut the striker's season ended abruptly in February 2008, when a potentially career-threatening tackle by Birmingham's Martin Taylor left Eduardo with a broken fibula and a dislocated ankle. He would not play for Arsenal's first team for 51 weeks.Sunday's goal signalled Eduardo's return to fitness as he seeks to 'fulfil his potential as (Arsenal's) most clinical finisher since Ian Wright'. It's been a bumpy ride so far but, with any luck, the Brazilian-born striker will be remembered for beautiful 'beach' football rather than the recipient of a horror tackle. Arsenal 3 Burnley 0: Eduardo's wonderful goal has fans in aweArsenal boss Wenger raves at returning hero Eduardo's 'goal of season' volley'Ridiculous' Eduardo will never lose his touch - we'll be flying when I join him back in Arsenal team, says WalcottVIDEO SPECIAL: Finishing school - Sportsmail celebrates 10 super strikesARSENAL FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET