Sky Sports tells the story of Endricks journey to Real Madrid in the first instalment of a new series called Next Up.
"Sometimes it’s hard to believe what he is achieving and showing so early""I believe Endrick will have success very quickly at Real Madrid"‘We weren’t born into wealth. We were born into football’Before he had joined Palmeiras, he sat down with his father, Douglas, and promised to give their family a better life by becoming a professional footballer. He was 10 at the time.
Endrick delivered on the promise he had made to his father by signing his first professional contract aged 15. Douglas kept his word, too: Endrick had arrived. Gomes first encountered Endrick as a 10-year-old when he was coaching Palmeiras’ U15s. They would not work together until later, but Endrick made an immediate impression."I observed a very different player since his first steps inside the club," he says.
"The main difference between Endrick and other players is his connection with the goal," says Gomes."He's very dangerous in the area. That's his distinctive characteristic."Endrick's goal was not the only thing that stood out."He took control of the game in a way that was so natural, leading in a moment of huge pressure for boys of 10 and 11 years of age. It wasn’t just me, everyone present realised we had a gem.
Such comparisons are unavoidable for Endrick being a striker from Brazil. Many have crumbled under this pressure."Mentally, he's very strong," says Gomes."You could see it since he was U11. He constructs this everyday."player to watch."All my contacts in Brazil had already assured me that he was someone different," Mario Cortegana, a Real Madrid correspondent for"It's not so usual that this happens with football people in Brazil.
"But then at night, my son’s manager phoned and said that the Chelsea owner had backed out of the deal because the price they would have to pay for Endrick would inflate the market.Real Madrid swooped in a month later and agreed to a similar deal. It was described as the"the biggest negotiation in the history of Brazilian football" by Palmeiras president Leila Pereira.
It all began when Endrick reported for international duty for the first time in November 2023. Social media decided this was to be the picture that preceded a legendary career.You know, the one we would marvel over when Endrick becomes the best player in the world."It was the way he was dressed," says Vickery."It's almost retro."
The example serves as a warning for Endrick, though. One he appears to have heeded."He doesn't want to come across as a party animal or someone too big for his boots," adds Vickery. It resonates with Endrick's image."He's placing himself in a tradition of 1958-1970," says Vickery."That's what he wants to represent.""Without being forced, I think he's making a point," says Vickery."It’s like watching Pele and his mates in the 1950s, when he was a young kid at Santos."
For Palmeiras he’s played up top on his own and with a partner, but Gomes and Vickery agree he thrives most when playing off someone."That’s where he can produce his best, arriving in the area and with the freedom to drop to the wings," says Gomes. Brazil hasn’t been this excited about a player of Endrick’s age since Neymar, the nation’s all-time leading scorer.
For Endrick to truly be considered a success in Brazil, he may have to win a World Cup or Ballon d’Or, perhaps both. It’s an inordinate level of expectation on his young shoulders."So far, he’s dealing with this extraordinarily well," says Vickery.Endrick rocked up for his first game at the Bernabeu aged 17 and delivered with a goal against Spain, mere days after becoming Brazil’s youngest scorer since Ronaldo against England at Wembley., was there.
Endrick had just inspired Palmeiras to a stunning 4-3 comeback win at the then league leaders Botafogo. He scored their first two goals and his cross led to the third as they rallied from 3-0 down.
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