Brazil boss predicts big things for teenager

Brazil expect prodigy Endrick to play a big role for club and country after the teenager made headlines by coming on to score his first goal for the Selecao and secure a 1-0 win over England at Wembley on Saturday, manager Dorival Junior says.

The teenager, who will join Real Madrid from Palmeiras when he turns 18 in July, became the youngest male player to score at the iconic stadium as he gave Dorival a win in his first match in charge of the fivetimes world champions.

“Endrick will bring a lot of joy to Real Madrid fans, I have no doubt about that. He has a bright future and he’s maturing amazingly well,” Dorival told a press conference ahead of Brazil’s friendly against Spain on Tuesday.

“He has a special ability to finish up front, to look for moves that few others would even try. He is aggressive, fierce, he attacks spaces like no-one else and has a unique ability in front of the goal.”

Despite urging caution regarding Endrick and disclosing that the youngster would not start on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Dorival said the fans at the match would have their chance to see him on the field against Spain.

“We have to be very careful, so that he progresses naturally, without putting too much expectation on someone who is just starting out in his career,” Dorival said. “He needs to have balance and that’s the key… as long as he doesn’t lose the initial timing and completes the fundamental training process from now on.”

Dorival also talked about the racist abuse his star player Vinicius Jr had endured in Spain over the past two seasons, saying his struggles have had a big effect in Brazil’s changing room. The Real Madrid winger broke down in tears at a press conference on Monday, saying he was struggling to stay motivated and enjoy playing football due to the recurring racist abuse he is subjected to.

“It’s cowardly what’s happening,” Dorival said. “This is a fact that happens every day in our country too, and we need a collective effort from everyone. We need the public prosecutor’s office to act more directly to curb these aggressions. Human beings need to respect each other and situations of this kind on football pitches are unacceptable.”