Edil Highlander, ex-Vasco forward and Pará icon, on 1,000 goals and a treasured ball | OneFootball

Edil Highlander, a Pará icon and former Vasco striker, says he has passed 1,000 career goals by his own count and retains deep affection for Paysandu, Remo and Vasco.

According to Globo.com, he treasures the ball from that milestone and says he would not sell it even for R$ 1 million. The conversation took place at his home in Belém on the eve of Paysandu v Vasco in the Copa do Brasil.

At Paysandu he was dubbed Carrasco after scoring regularly against Remo, even celebrating the 1987 title at the Mangueirão by pulling a hood from his shorts. At Remo he adopted Braddock, inspired by Chuck Norris, miming weapons after goals and once scoring six in a 10-0 win over Tiradentes as a broom landed for a celebration.

Vasco signed him in 1991 after Remo had knocked them out of the Copa do Brasil months earlier. He says coach Antônio Lopes liked his style, likening it to Roberto Dinamite, and he shared a dressing room with Bebeto, Geovani and others.

He recalls combining with Bebeto, often playing as a pivot to help the forward, yet his own goals were scarce amid fierce competition from the likes of Mauricinho and Sorato. He says he contributed with assists and graft.

The Highlander nickname arrived later at Cascavel in 2000 when, returning from injury, he celebrated by swinging an imaginary sword and team-mates theatrically fell. He later built a Highlander clothing line and keeps a real sword gifted by the late Paulo Jussara.

In his tally, the 1,000th came at the Mangueirão in a festive Re-Pa, when he scored for Paysandu in one half and for Remo in the other. He also ranks himself alongside Pelé, Romário and Túlio Maravilha among Brazil’s 1,000-goal scorers.

He starred in Venezuela as a top scorer and two-time national champion and played two Libertadores with Marítimo, plus a spell at Espinho in Portugal. Ahead of Tuesday’s 21:30 tie, he joked he wanted both Paysandu and Vasco to progress.

Source: Globo.com