SAO PAULO.- About to play his first Worldthe young Brazilian goalscorer Endrick He told AFP on Tuesday that he “never” let the fear of being excluded from the squad list announced the day before “dominate” him.
Endrick, 19, received the call from Carlo Ancelottiafter a season in which he was loaned to Olympique Lyonnais for him real Madridin search of the minutes he needed to attract the attention of the coach of Brazil.
The forward was out of the Italian’s orbit for months, when he had minimal opportunities in Madrid. Previously, he had scored three goals in 14 games for the Seleção.
He recovered ground after arriving at French club Lyon, a club where he scored eight goals and eight assists in 21 games in all competitions, good numbers despite going through ups and downs.
“I never let fear dominate me. I always got out of bed thinking about doing my best every day. I knew that if I gave my best, everyone would see it. It was in my hands,” Endrick said.
“A lot is expected of us”
His statements reflect his strong mentality since his beginnings in the lower categories of the Palmeiras.
“No one trains more than Endrick. When (he was 15) and we did strength training, he lifted more than the U-17s,” recalled the base coordinator of the São Paulo club. João Paulo Sampaioin a recent interview with AFP.
“He will always be challenging himself” and “that’s why he is so different,” Sampaio stressed.
The star also entered the squad list of the five-time world champions announced by Ancelotti. Neymar34 years old, absent from the Canarinha since the end of 2023.
“A World Cup is special and, for someone who is at the beginning of his career, having at his side players who have already played in it more than once is going to help a lot,” said the forward in reference to Neymar, who will play in his fourth World Cup.
Endrick said he is aware of the responsibility that the team has in the maximum competition, between June 11 and July 19 in USA, Mexico and Canada.
“It represents a lot for the self-esteem of Brazilians. We are a giant country, passionate about football. A lot is expected of us,” concluded the international.
