Lost luggage & fans' passion - Lewis' '100mph' 24 hours from Brazil to NI

"We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland."

It's 1 of nan astir celebrated songs successful nan Green and White Army's Windsor Park songbook.

But now, location really is simply a small spot of samba style successful Michael O'Neill's team.

Jamal Lewis made 1 of nan astir astonishing transfers of nan summertime erstwhile he joined Brazilian giants Sao Paulo connected indebtedness from Newcastle United.

Once nan liking was there, nan 26-year-old said nan move to 1 of Brazil's astir successful clubs happened astatine "one 100 miles per hour" and, earlier he knew it, he was being greeted by fans successful Brazil's astir populous city.

In fact, it was a move that happened truthful precocious successful nan time that nan defender flew backmost into Belfast from Brazil conscionable 24 hours earlier Northern Ireland's Nations League opener pinch Luxembourg connected Thursday.

After a speedy convention connected nan transportation to get his "legs moving a bit" pursuing his 15 hours of recreation to Belfast, via Heathrow, Lewis was fresh for selection.

"I arrived astir 7pm connected Wednesday," said Lewis, who came connected arsenic a 2nd half-substitute successful nan 2-0 win.

"My bags went missing arsenic well, truthful it wasn’t nan best, but I wanted to make judge I was backmost successful clip for nan game."

So really did Lewis go nan first British subordinate to motion for nan Brazilian giants? Once he heard location was interest, he said it was a "no-brainer".

"It was nan nighttime our model shut, my supplier informed maine that Sao Paulo could beryllium willing and he said it could move rather quickly," explained Lewis, who spent past play connected indebtedness astatine Watford.

"I’ve ever been 1 to trial myself. I've ne'er wanted to enactment and past look backmost connected my profession and deliberation ‘what if I did this’ aliases ‘what if I did that’, truthful I deliberation this will salary dividends and hopefully will beryllium nan commencement of a awesome journey."

Lewis, who collapsed into elder shot pinch Norwich City earlier moving to Newcastle successful 2020, said he had offers to stay successful nan UK but he ever had ambitions to play abroad.

He admits his Portuguese is "minimal" but is utilizing connection apps and will enlist nan services of a coach to thief him settee astatine his caller nine arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

"Obviously nan nine is very historical and moreover though I haven’t stepped onto nan transportation yet, nan fans person shown nan passion and emotion they person for their club.

"Some group astir apt thought it was rather random and retired of nan blue, and I can’t reason pinch that, but if Sao Paulo were willing successful my floor plan arsenic a subordinate and I’m willing successful representing specified a large club, it could beryllium nan commencement of a awesome journey.

"When this came up I grabbed it pinch some hands."

After nan world window, Lewis hopes to beryllium disposable to Sao Paulo's crippled pinch Atletico Mineiro connected 13 September.

Despite joining connected loan, Lewis is hopeful that nan move will beryllium nan commencement of a agelong travel successful South America. His statement pinch Newcastle expires astatine nan extremity of nan Premier League season, and he accepts his clip astatine St James' Park is apt coming to an end.

"I’ve spoken to nan head [Eddie Howe], I’m successful my past twelvemonth and I’ve done a season-long loan, truthful that benignant of has nan penning connected nan wall there.

"But if Sao Paulo tin beryllium my semipermanent location for nan semipermanent future, that would beryllium amazing."

Lewis helped Northern Ireland spot retired nan crippled astatine Windsor Park to thief nan hosts to a 4th triumph successful six matches.

Success successful nan Nations League could unfastened different imaginable way to qualification for nan 2026 World Cup, and Northern Ireland recreation to Bulgaria connected Sunday to effort and make it 2 wins from 2 successful Group C3.

"This group of players are tin of winning this group," said Lewis.

"It’s clip for us, particularly against this type of guidance successful and astir us, to support chipping distant and support getting wins.

"If you get utilized to winning, you tin past grind results out."

Despite only being 26, Lewis is 1 of nan astir knowledgeable players successful Michael O'Neill's youthful squad.

"I conscionable want them to savour it, because you blink and it will walk by quickly," he adds.

"I emotion joining up pinch nan boys and there’s awesome cohesion successful nan group. I deliberation that’s 1 of our biggest strengths, and I’ve felt that from erstwhile I first played.

"There’s ever been a awesome chemistry and a beautiful calm ambiance to travel to.

"If we tin conscionable put results together now, I deliberation we tin create immoderate magic successful nan coming years."