EPL goalkeeper Ederson shares inspirational stories of childhood hardships
In an interview with Manchester City's "Mini Me" team, Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson revealed interesting details about his childhood and his inclinations towards the beautiful game at a young age. The EPL goalkeeper was born in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and like several other Brazilian superstars, he grew up honing his skills in the streets.
The EPL star vividly describes his learning curve in Brazil and credits the smaller things in his life for making him the player he is today. Ederson also opens up about the challenges he faced while trying to maintain a balance between his academic pursuits and his passion for the game.
"My childhood was always this way, playing football with my friends. I used to play more on the streets, playing football barefoot. I remember at that time, I used to play with the kids from the street just behind me. The prize used to be 2 litres of guarana."
The Brazilian continued,
"By the age of twelve or thirteen, I had started to play with Sao Paulo and then my routine changed completely. It was basically school-training, training-school. I ended up not finishing my studies so I could play football and thanks to God, I've made it."
EPL shot-stopper Ederson names Rogerio Ceni as his idol
Ederson named Brazilian legend Rogerio Ceni has the player he tried to emulate as a youngster growing up in Sao Paulo. Most of Rogerio Ceni's playing career was spent in Sao Paulo, where he made a name for himself as a dead-ball specialist and was one of the first ball-playing goalkeepers the world had ever seen.
While Pep Guardiola certainly had an influence on Ederson's unique goalkeeping style, it is quite evident that Rogerio Ceni was a massive influence on the EPL star during his formative years.
"Rogerio Ceni has always been my inspiration. When I started playing in school, I didn't have an idol as such. From the moment I started playing as a goalkeeper, I started to follow Rogerio Ceni. From that moment onwards, he became my inspiration and idol."
Like many other South American footballers, Ederson's journey to the EPL was fraught with obstacles. The Manchester City and EPL goalkeeper if it was not for his rigorous perseverance and determination throughout his childhood and early career with Sao Paulo, playing in the EPL would have remained a distant dream.
"It was a huge sacrifice. I remember training in Sao Paolo in the mornings. My father used to go to work at 5am and we used to leave at the same time. I needed to get two buses, followed by the club's bus, and the same thing on the way back. Sometimes I wouldn't even have time for lunch because I needed to go straight to school."
"I'd come back from school just to have dinner and go to sleep, because the next day I had to do it all over again."
Today, Ederson is considered one of the best shot-stoppers in the EPL and the world. Suffice to say, hard work does pay off.
"Thanks to God, I'm good today, I'm in a great club. I've made my dream come true. I'm married, a father, an experienced man, so a lot has changed. Now I'm a grown-up Ederson!"
Ederson is Manchester City's first-choice goalkeeper and has come a long way from his days at Sao Paulo and Benfica. The Brazilian won the EPL in this first season in England in 2018, as Manchester City blazed its way to the EPL title with a record-breaking tally of 100 points.