For the youngest fans of Ligue 1 Conforama, Neymar was not the first South American star to join France, nor was Radamel Falcao the first phenomenon to arrive from Colombia.

Indeed, some 20 years before this fabulous duo, there was a certain Carlos Valderrama, who, to everyone's surprise, came to the French championship to wear the Montpellier HSC jersey. At the time, the Deportivo Cali playmaker was considered the best player on his continent, as evidenced by his trophy as South American Player of the Year in 1987.

After Julio Cesar, MHSC sign Valderrama!

Montpellier HSC were full of ambition during the 1987-88 season, and were looking to strengthen an already successful attack, finishing the year at the top of the standings with 68 units.

And one year after signing Julio César, the Brazilian defender who shot to stardom in the 1986 World Cup, and who would later help Borussia Dortmund to some of their finest moments on the European stage, La Paillade were looking for the best in South America: Carlos Valderrama.

In 1988, however, the French clubs were rarely recruiting from Colombia. In South America, the Colombian's transfer to the old continent was closely monitored. And the story went on for six months before the Nicollin-Mézy-Mosca trio finally clinched Valderrama's signature - no mean feat considering that "around 15 clubs including Barcelona, Lazio and Sampdoria" were in the running, according to Cali's managers.

Three seasons running Montpellier's show

Although his integration went well thanks to former player Nestor Combin, who arrived at the club as an interpreter, as well as Julio Cesar, Laurent Blanc, Lemoult and Larios, all of whom could speak some Spanish, the Colombian expected to experience a profound change on the pitch - but was still looking to pull the strings.

"I intend to play my football," he warned on his arrival. "The European game is based on speed and we South Americans are looking for the short game and safety."

After making his Ligue 1 Conforama debut at Marseille's Vélodrome (1-1), Carlos Valderrama played his first game at home and put in a remarkable performance in a 1-1 draw with OGC Nice. The Colombian displayed his full range of passing skills and led the way, his eye for goal allowing him to develop a good understanding with Bruno Bellone from the very first minutes.

In the first of his three seasons in the Hérault region, the South American playmaker played in 24 Ligue 1 matches and scored one goal - in December 1988. Against SM Caen, he conjured the winner with a header at the near post.

His second season was above all marked by La Paillade's victory in the Coupe de France, even though suspension saw him watch the final from the stands.

Out on a high

During his last season in France and after a participation in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the No10 helped the Hérault club to finish in 7th place in the league - the result of a strong campaign peppered with some stand-out performances, notably a scintillating victory over PSG (4-0).

Finally, Valderrama helped MHSC to their best-ever European campaign, reaching the quarter-finals of the 1990-91 edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. A fine way for the first Colombian star to remind everyone that his place in the club's history is not only due to his astonishing hairstyle.