"Cristiano when he played for Real too" - Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr says he learnt a lot from Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. recently said that he learned a lot from Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.
Vinicius Jr. has managed to become one of the most important players for Los Blancos in recent times. The Brazilian also scored the winning goal for the Spanish giants in the final of the UEFA Champions League last season against Liverpool.
In a recent interview with Diario AS, he said (via Madrid Universal):
“I learned a lot from Neymar when he played for Barcelona, he also suffered a lot. Cristiano (Ronaldo), when he played for Real, too. Neymar went through a lot as a young player, having to play at such an early age and with a lot of pressure. So he is the one who is in charge today of making everything easier for the new generation."
He added:
"It is a dream because we have grown up idolizing him. It is very important what he does as a leader. He knows that by helping us, we can also help him a lot, to have a great World Cup."
🎙️| Vinícius Jr.: “I learned a lot from Cristiano Ronaldo when he played at Real & Neymar at Barça, they also suffered a lot (bad challenges) from rival defenders.” @Reuters #rmalive
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Vinicius Jr. idolizes his compatriot Neymar. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is perhaps the greatest player ever to wear the Real Madrid jersey.
Vinicius Jr. also opened up on how Karim Benzema has helped him take an optimistic approach amidst the hostility towards him on the pitch:
"It was Karim (Benzema) who told me to be calm and have peace of mind, because if the rivals persecute you it is because you are relevant, because they are afraid of you. For this reason, when I catch the ball and go forward, I do it with enthusiasm. Yes, they can hurt me. But I’m up for the challenge."
Real Madrid transfer target named Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol
Endrick has emerged as a transfer target for Real Madrid. Speaking to So Foot, the Brazilian wonderkid named the two Ronaldos as his idols (via MARCA):
“I would say that Ronaldo el Fenomeno and Cristiano Ronaldo, are players that have qualities that I identify with, I’ve seen them play a lot. I like the speed, the power, how they go through defenses and then their winning attitude. What I try to get out of them is their composure in the box, using that to score even more goals.”