“A complete player” - Roberto Carlos delivers confident verdict on Real Madrid star
Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos has lavished praise on the club's teenage sensation Endrick after the latter was unveiled as an official player. Now that the Brazilian attacker has turned 18, he completed a move from Palmeiras to Los Blancos.
The youngster was officially unveiled on July 27 and opened up about joining the Spanish giants. Endrick is touted to be one of the brightest young stars, and Carlos, too, believes the same. He said (via @MadridXtra):
"Power, speed, intelligence. A complete player. Young and complete."
At the age of 18, the striker already has 10 caps for Brazil's senior team and has bagged three goals in the process. Opening up about joining Real Madrid, he said (via GOAL):
"I've been in love with Madrid since I was a kid, I wanted to come here. When negotiations started, the only thing I asked was if Madrid were in the negotiations."
"I didn't care about any other club. I've always wanted Real Madrid. I've been signing for a long time. I hope to stay here for the rest of my life."
Although Endrick has arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu, his role in the senior team may be limited with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer. The French World Cup winner, who moved to Madrid after his contract expired at Paris Saint-Germain, will be expected to play down the middle.
Should this be the case, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are likely to occupy the wide spaces on either side of Mbappe.
Endrick says Cristiano Ronaldo drew him closer to Real Madrid move
Endrick recently opened up about the impact that Cristiano Ronaldo had on his decision to join Real Madrid. The Brazilian revealed that after watching the Portuguese star in action, he was drawn that much more to the club.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner spent nine years in the Spanish capital from 2009 to 2018 after signing a whopping €94 million deal from Manchester United. Addressing Ronaldo's influence on his decision, Endrick said (via GOAL):
"I saw Cristiano Ronaldo and because of him I wanted to know a bit more about Real Madrid."
However, Endrick will have to do extremely well if he is to match Ronaldo's 450 goals in 438 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos. He won the UEFA Champions League trophy on four occasions while being crowned La Liga champion twice, among other honors at the Santiago Bernabeu.