"He is a very serious professional who deserves everything" - Carlo Ancelotti heaps praises on Real Madrid superstar
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Vinicius Junior's work ethic which has helped him develop into a 'spectacular talent'. The Italian coach gave a glowing assessment of the Brazilian attacker who has shone this season.
Ancelotti highlighted the young forward's improvement since he returned to the Santiago Bernabeu dugout. He said (via Madrid Zone):
"When I came here I had only seen Vinicius on TV. I knew that he had a spectacular talent. Now he does many more things, more skills, more efficiency in front of goal. He has done it with daily hard work and focus in training. He is a very serious professional who deserves everything."
Vinicius, 23, has quickly become one of European football's megastars amid a remarkable rise at Madrid. He's been in stunning form this season with 21 goals and 11 assists in 36 games across competitions.
The 28-cap Brazil international arrived at the Bernabeu from Brazilian outfit Flamengo in 2018 for €45 million. He didn't immediately break into the senior team and his numbers were quite low in front of goal until the 2021-22 campaign.
Vinicius exploded with 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 games across competitions. He's consistently racked up similar numbers and he put this down to hard work in training when speaking in 2021 (via AS):
"This is the product of a lot of work, many hours training in Valdebebas and fighting to improve the definition."
Real Madrid have benefitted from Vinicius' hard work as he's helped them to trophy success. They won the UEFA Champions League in 2022 and he scored the winner in a 1-0 win against Liverpool. He's won 10 major trophies with Los Blancos.
Vinicius Junior reacts to his man-of-the-match display in Real Madrid's win over Bayern Munich in the UCL
Vinicius was named man-of-the-match in Los Blancos' 2-1 comeback win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday (May 8). They booked their place in the final with a 4-3 win on aggregate.
The Brazilian wasn't on the scoresheet but starred with an all-around eye-catching performance. He had five attempts, including one that hit the woodwork, made two key passes, and won nine of 17 ground duels.
Vinicius expressed his pride representing the La Liga giants after being awarded the man-of-the-match award. He said (via Madrid Universal):
"It is a dream to be able to play football at Real Madrid. I was in Brazil, the other side of the world. I was able to make history with this team, with my family and with these fans who I love very much and who always support me."
Real Madrid has already won the La Liga title and the Supercopa de Espana this season. They can add the Champions League trophy by beating Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley on June 1.