"You can kick them and they’ll stand up" - Thibaut Courtois compares Real Madrid star to former teammate Eden Hazard
Thibaut Courtois has compared Real Madrid's Endrick to his former teammate Eden Hazard. The goalkeeper saw the latter up close on the pitch, given they played together at Chelsea, Madrid, and Belgium.
Hazard, who is now retired at the age of 33, was a menacing presence in attack during his prime. Apart from his passing and shooting ability, he was known for being one of the best dribblers in world football.
The 1.75m winger had immaculate close control, aided by a low centre of gravity, and drew fouls regularly because of it. Courtois believes Endrick also possesses the resilience and power Hazard did during his playing days.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper said (via @MadridXtra):
"Endrick? He isn’t very tall, but he has really strong legs, a bit like when I met Hazard at Chelsea who wasn’t tall and had strong legs. You can kick them and they’ll stand up. He has great power. He seems a bit nervous. But he will get better and better."
Endrick is almost the same height as Hazard (1.73m) and dribbling is one of his strongest suits. He is also quite agile and has a strong shot on him, although he lacks experience on the big stage, having joined Los Blancos just this summer.
The Brazilian forward, now 18, recorded 21 goals and four assists in 82 senior games for Palmeiras before his €60 million (with add-ons) transfer this summer.
Endrick overwhelmed by reception from Real Madrid fans
Endrick recently touched upon the reception he got from Real Madrid fans during his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu last month. It is estimated that around 43,000 fans were present in the stadium to welcome the teenager to the club.
Endrick described the move as a 'dream' when he addressed the fans during his presentation. In a recent interview in the build-up to the pre-season El Clasico, he once again touched upon the reception he got from the Real Madrid faithful and told RMTV (via MadridUniversal):
"I didn’t expect this reception from all the fans because Real Madrid is the best club in the world and all the love they have for me is crazy. I want to help everyone and if I can sign for all the fans. I really wanted to meet my teammates and coaching staff again, I’m very happy."
Endrick started as the No. 9 against Barcelona in their pre-season 2-1 loss at the MetLife Stadium on August 3. He had a rather poor outing, getting no shots on target and completing none of his three dribble attempts before being replaced in the 68th minute.