Anselmo Ribeiro

Anselmo Emiliano Carvalho Gomes Ribeiro (born December 17, 1974), known as Jair, is a Cape Verdean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and forward.

Early life Jair emigrated from his native Cape Verde to the United States as a child, settling with his family in suburban Boston. He attended Madison Park High School in Roxbury, Massachusetts

Club career Jair began his professional career in Portugal, with the reserves of Sporting CP, although he never played a first team game with the team, and spent a great deal of time on loan at Portuguese second division clubs Alverca and Olhanense.

After two years with CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, Jair signed with New England Revolution in March 1998, and became a starter in the team's midfield. He transferred to San Jose Clash in the middle of the 1999 season in exchange for Jeff Baicher, having played 29 games and scored 4 goals for Revolution, a move which sparked concerns about possible conflicts of interest within the league.

After a year with the Hampton Roads Mariners in the A-League, and a short three-month stay at one of his old clubs in Portugal, Olhanense, Jair moved to Florida to play for Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001, ultimately playing 25 games for the team prior to its demise at the end of the season.

Jair spent two more years playing competitively, with Connecticut Wolves in the A-League in 2002, and with Western Mass Pioneers in the USL Pro Soccer League in 2003, before retiring from the sport in 2004.

International career Jair has played with the Cape Verde national football team, appearing in World Cup qualifiers in 2000 against Algeria.

Personal life Jair's nickname was inspired by the legendary Brazilian player Jair da Rosa Pinto, who is best remembered for his performance in Brazil's 1950 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Jair currently resides in Florida.