Radcliffe FC are delighted to announce the signing of forward, Nivaldo Rodrigues Ferreira. Simply known as ‘Nivaldo’, the Brazilian joins the club from Ukrainian second division side, SC Chaika.

Nivaldo’s footballing journey has seen him play in six different countries across the world, including Russia, Belarus, and his native, Brazil. His main achievements being a Belarusian Cup, a Belarusian Super Cup, and an abundance of appearances in the Europa League and the Asian Champions League, to only name a few.

Following the recent problems in Ukraine, he now finds himself at the Neuven Stadium under the management of Bobby Grant, looking to rebuild his life with his family in England. His incredible story is spoken about by Nivaldo himself in his first interview at the club, which will be available to view soon.

A vigorous striker with pace and skill to beat his man, Nivaldo has been with us since the very start of pre-season and has already caught the eye of fans, eager to put a name to the exciting player they’ve watched over the past two months.

Speaking on signing for Radcliffe, Nivaldo said - “I’m very happy, this move is very good for me and my family because of our situation. After we moved away from Ukraine, we had the opportunity to start again and that’s something that the club offered me.

When I spoke to Bobby on the phone I instantly wanted to come here, we have some good players in the squad and we’re ready for the season to start.”

The full interview with Nivaldo will be available to watch on our Youtube channel soon.

Speaking on Nivaldo joining the club, Chairman Paul Hilton said: “When the opportunity to speak to Nivaldo arose we were keen to see whether there was anything we could do to help him, and his family in their transition to the UK.

Hearing his story was inspirational and from the heights of the Europa League, to packing his life and family into a car overnight and driving for the border as the bombs began to fall in Kiev is an experience that I don’t think many people can truly ever understand, but the humility and dedication to his family is there for all to see. We've been proud to help him and his family settle in and now clearance is through we are all looking forward to the season and Nivaldo building his new life in the UK.

As people will have seen through pre-season, Nivaldo is a great player and is another excellent addition to the squad. His experiences at the top level of the game will be important as we look to have a positive season, and lets be honest - every football fan loves a bit of Brazilian flair!

Joga Bonito Nivaldo!”

Welcome to the Neuven Stadium, Nivaldo!

Buy your 2022/23 Season Ticket here to see Nivaldo, Bobby Grant and the rest of the squad in action!