“It was a dream to play in Barcelona” - Vitor Roque speaks out after joining the Catalan club
Newly signed Barcelona forward Vitor Roque has opened up on his dream move to the Catalan club. The Brazilian striker made his debut for the Blaugrana during their recent 2-1 away win over Las Palmas. He came on as a late substitute in the game.
Roque was recently presented as a Barcelona player with his new #19 kit. He told the media later (via BarcaTimes on X):
“It was a dream to play in Barcelona.”
Further speaking about the chat he had with manager Xavi before joining the club, Roque said:
“Xavi reassured me, he told me to play simply and try to score.”
Roque arrives at the club as a highly rated attacker. He had an impressive stint with Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense before joining the Blaugrana. Roque scored 28 goals and provided 11 assists in 81 matches for them.
The 18-year-old has already represented Brazil's senior team once at the international level. He had a very impressive campaign last term, scoring 21 goals and providing eight assists in 45 matches across competitions.
Roque is touted to be Robert Lewandowski's long-term replacement at Barca.
Rafael Yuste speaks highly about Barcelona's new signing Vitor Roque
Barcelona vice-president Rafael Yuste revealed during Vitor Roque's presentation that he spent some time with the striker before the move was made official. He had nothing but high praise for Roque.
He acknowledged Roque's competitiveness and said that the attacker always has a smile on his face. Yuste also touched down on Roque's humble beginning. He said (via Barca Universal):
“A few days ago, I shared some time with Vitor, and I can assure you, he has something that this world is greatly missing – a smile. He is a competitive beast, and comes from a very humble family.”
Yuste added:
“I asked Xavi what he though of Vitor. He told me, he was a competitive beast. He has been here for a short time but has an impeccable attitude.”
Having already made his debut for the Catalan club, fans can expect to see Roque play a bigger role as the season progresses. His competitive nature has already been noticed by the club's hierarchy.