"His time in the national team will come" - Roberto Carlos tips 25-year-old Premier League star for Brazil call-up
Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has revealed his admiration for Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton.
The 49-year-old is currently in England where he is scheduled to take part in an exhibition game between Rest of the World X1 and England X1.
He was speaking in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Live and stated that the 27-year-old could soon get a call-up for the Brazil team.
"Joelinton just has to keep up the good performances. He’s been putting them in and now he must make sure that he does what the coach says and make sure the fans are also happy with him. I’m sure that if he keeps up the good performances, his time in the national team will come."
Roberto Carlos is widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in history and he distinguished himself for almost 15 years in the colors of Real Madrid and Brazil.
🥇E esse trio olímpico fazendo pagode novamente no Japão? Da última vez acabou em medalha de ouro, hein... 😄🇧🇷🥇
Veja o vídeo completo com os bastidores de Brasil x Japão >> youtube.com/watch?v=hkV24T… https://t.co/ERBGiZdRmD
He is the second-most capped Brazilian male player of all-time with 125 appearance and won everything there was to win at both club and international level.
Can Joelinton make a late claim for a place in Brazil's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad?
Brazil are always among the favorites heading into any World Cup and the 2022 edition is no different.
The current crop of Selecao may be lacking the immense star-power and all-time greats of yesteryears. However, they still have what it takes to go all the way in Qatar.
Coach of the Brazilian team Tite has given a fair amount of opportunities to new-comers over the last few years. Yet, he has a few trusted players that form the core of his squad.
Joelinton has performed admirably since joining Newcastle United and it is not out of place for him to dream of being on the plane to Qatar.
Intervalo no jogo da #SeleçãoSub29 e o Brasil vai vencendo o Equador por 2 a 0!
Veja a segunda etapa AO VIVO: youtu.be/fx8GpPIRZ70 https://t.co/Vp1fdbKnqE
The former Rapid Vienna man's chances have been boosted by the virtue of him being a midfielder. The midfield positions are arguably still undecided, with perhaps only Casemiro currently assured of his spot on the plane.
The likes of Lucas Paqueta, Fabinho, Fred, and Joelinton's club teammate Bruno Guimares are all jostling for spots in the middle of the park.
Joelinton was recently named Newcastle United's Player of the Season, highlighting how impressive he was last term. However, this was not enough for Tite to call him up for the national team's latest round of friendly fixtures.
If Joelinton starts the next season brightly, Tite might be tempted to give him a chance in the last round of friendlies before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This might represent his only shot at being a surprise inclusion as the Samba Boys attempt to win a sixth world trophy.