Southampton fan Rob Orr profiles Guly do Prado, a player who helped Saints secure back-to-back promotions…

Guilherme do Prado, known more commonly to Saints fans as ‘Guly’, first arrived on English shores as a loan signing from Italian side Cesena in August 2010. Being only the second Brazilian to play for Southampton after the great Charles Miller, the man credited with introducing the sport to Brazil, his unveiling was met with much optimism by fans of the South Coast club.

The club hierarchy did their best to float the deal as a marquee signing, promising that Guly’s samba skills would soon be lighting up the pitches of League 1 and might provide the catalyst to propel the Saints out of the lowly depths to which they had fallen. Do Prado did indeed do enough in his five-month loan spell, scoring six goals in 17 appearances, to ensure Southampton exercised their right to purchase him that January. He would go on to have a successful season, playing a major part in promotion to the Championship. Continue reading →