Josue (r.) is a true Wolfsburg stalwart, having been on the books at VfL since 2007 now
Josue (r.) is a true Wolfsburg stalwart, having been on the books at VfL since 2007 now

Leader of the pack - again

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Loyalty, determination and bravery are three key attributes in the leader of a wolf pack. Fortunately for VfL Wolfsburg that's exactly the type of player they boast wearing the captain's armband.

Josue Anunciado de Oliveira was born in Vitória de Santo Antão, north-eastern Brazil, on 19 July 1979. He began his career with Goias Esporte Clube and remained with the lower-league side for seven years before making the step up into the top tier of Brazilian football when he was signed by Sao Paulo. It was there his success story began as he went on to win the FIFA Club World Cup, the Copa Libertadores and three Brazilian league titles between 2005 and 2007.

Josue's domestic exploits soon earned him a call-up to the Brazilian national team when he was selected to play in a friendly with Ghana in March 2007 by then head coach Dunga. The legendary Brazilian used Josue as a holding midfielder in the team that went on to win the Copa America in 2007.

The diminutive but robust midfielder then opted to ply his trade in Europe and soon landed in northern Germany, at VfL Wolfsburg. His Bundesliga career began with a sending-off for two bookable offences, but that proved to be only a manifestation of the sheer grit that saw him battle his way to a regular first-team slot. Josue took over the captain's armband from his compatriot Marcelinho in 2008/09 and promptly led Wolfsburg to their first-ever Bundesliga title that same season - instantly playing his way into the hearts of VfL fans forever more.