Arabian Gulf League: Al Shabab's Adeilson full of praise for new club

Adeilson Pereira de Mello agreed last week to a one-year contract with Al Shabab at their training camp in Germany, reports John McAuley.

Brazilian striker Pereira de Mello Adeilson is the latest signing for Al Shabab. Valery Hache / AFP

Al Shabab's latest signing comes to Dubai seeking trophies as well as a "different challenge" from his native Brazil.

Adeilson Pereira de Mello, commonly known by his first name, agreed last week to a one-year contract with Shabab, and on Friday passed a medical at their training camp in Germany.

Adeilson, 27, can operate as a winger on either flank or farther forward, giving the manager Marcos Paqueta more options up front. Paqueta, a Brazilian, was integral in convincing his compatriot to agree to the move.

"It's an honour to have Marcos Paqueta as coach, and Al Shabab are one of the best teams in the UAE, with several titles already," Adeilson said. "It's a strong club.

"I wanted to have a new experience and a different challenge to prove my strengths to the management and the Shabab fans, and contribute to earning them a title. I've promised myself and my family back in Brazil that I would deliver my best."

He arrives on a free transfer, having spent the past few months on loan at Nautico, a club in Brazil's Serie A. He replaces in the squad Ciel, the Brazilian forward, who recently decided to transfer to Al Ahli, Shabab's local rivals.

Adeilson fills the final foreign spot in Shabab's 2013/14 squad, with Edgar Bruno, Carlos Villanueva and Azizbek Haydarov already on the roster.

Shabab will look to improve on a relatively successful domestic campaign last season, where they finished fifth in the Pro League and as runners-up in the President's Cup.

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