How does a boy from the small provincial town of Mogeiro in the Brazilian state of Paraíba, who never wore football boots until the age of 16, never belonged to a club and had no coach, become an acclaimed Bundesliga star? Ailton's story is representative of the many Brazilians who have been shaping football culture in Europe for decades.

Ailton Gonçalves da Silva came to Werder Bremen in an adventurous way in 1998, won the DFB Cup twice with the club, won the double in the 2003/04 season, became the Bundesliga top scorer and was the first foreign player in Germany to be voted Footballer of the Year. The "Kugelblitz", as he was nicknamed because of his stature and speed, won people's hearts with his charm and countless goals.

Bestselling author Fred Sellin presents Ailton's eventful and moving life story, which took him from Brazil to Mexico, Germany, Turkey, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Austria and China. To this day, the likeable Brazilian, for whom Bremen has become his adopted home, is celebrated by football fans throughout the country. Anyone who wants to know who Ailton really is can now read about it in his "football fairytale".

• by Ailton Gonçalves da Silva and Fred Sellin
• 208 pages