For former Manchester United and Newcastle United midfielder Liam O'Brien, playing alongside the Brazilian forward during Newcastle's revival under Kevin Keegan remains one of the most unique experiences of his career.
Speaking exclusively to Football Presse, O'Brien recalled a player who was ahead of his time in English football, arriving on Tyneside with a style and personality few supporters had ever witnessed before.
"Mirandinha was the first Brazilian I played with," O'Brien recalled.
The Irishman had actually encountered him before arriving at Newcastle, having faced Brazil while representing the Republic of Ireland.
"I played against him for Ireland against Brazil in 1987 when we were lucky enough to beat them in Lansdowne Road. Then I ended up playing with him at Newcastle."
Mirandinha's arrival from Palmeiras in 1987 was groundbreaking. At a time when English football remained largely domestic in its recruitment, the Brazilian became the first player from his country to feature in England's top flight.
Today, when Brazilian stars regularly headline Premier League squads, it is easy to forget just how unusual Mirandinha's presence was.
For O'Brien, the differences were obvious from the moment they trained together.
"Mirandinha was obviously a flair player, Brazilian, but he could be very frustrating at times," he laughed.
"He wanted the ball all to himself sometimes. He wasn't passing as much, so he got a few bollockings off some of the players around him."
Yet that unpredictability was also what made him special.
O'Brien remembers a player blessed with outstanding natural technique and supreme confidence in his own ability.
"He had a good strike on the ball. He was a good striker of the ball, to be fair to him. Typical Brazilian.
"The only problem was he thought he could score from 40 or 50 yards every time. Instead of laying the ball off, he'd turn, run and shoot.
"Sometimes they go in, sometimes they go into the stand."
One effort, in particular, has remained etched in O'Brien's memory.
When Newcastle faced Manchester United shortly after O'Brien's move from Old Trafford, Mirandinha unleashed a spectacular long-range strike that rattled the post.
"I remember it well," O'Brien said.
"It was a windy day and he hit the post from a long way out. He was capable of things like that."
While Mirandinha's football often grabbed the headlines, O'Brien says the Brazilian integrated surprisingly well away from the pitch despite the language barrier.
"He was fine socially," he explained. "He had an interpreter helping him with his English, but he joined in with the lads and had a bit of fun.
"He wasn't standing in the corner on his own."
Mirandinha was one of several fascinating characters O'Brien encountered during a transformative period for Newcastle.
The midfielder arrived from Manchester United in 1988 and witnessed first-hand the revolution sparked by Keegan's appointment as manager.
At the time, Newcastle were battling financial problems and struggling near the foot of the old First Division.
Keegan changed everything.
"He had this aura about him," O'Brien recalled. "He was full of enthusiasm, had a great personality and the players really loved him.
"He loved Newcastle United and he loved the fans because of the way they treated him when he was a player.
"He just said these fans do not deserve this club to be where it is."
The turnaround was remarkable. Newcastle survived relegation before storming back to the top flight the following season.
Alongside Mirandinha and Keegan, O'Brien also had the privilege of playing with one of England's greatest attacking talents in Peter Beardsley.
"Peter was probably one of the best I've seen," O'Brien said. "He was a humble man, a lovely guy and worked so hard in training.
"You knew you were playing with a top player because he'd done it everywhere – Liverpool, Everton, England.
"He had everything. A great football brain and a great eye for goal."
Yet even among such distinguished company, Mirandinha stood apart.
In an era before South American imports became commonplace, he represented something entirely different.
For Newcastle supporters of that generation, and teammates like O'Brien, the Brazilian trailblazer remains impossible to forget. As English football became increasingly global, Mirandinha was one of the first players to show what that future might look like.
