Set to join Real Madrid this summer in a deal worth €31.5m, Porto right-back Danilo has told of his Champions League ambitions this season.
Speaking to UEFA.com, the 23-year-old insisted that his current club are concentrating on reaching the final and explained what the competition means to him.
“We are thinking big and focusing on getting to the final, but we’re taking it match by match,” said the Brazilian.
“It’s always been our aim during the season to take one step at a time, with humility. But I definitely think we have a chance of making the final.
“The Champions League is a competition I’ve always wanted to succeed in. I often watched it on television as a young boy, with big Brazilian players making history and winning finals. I had the ambition not only to play in it but to reach the later stages.
“I remember watching some great games. Liverpool and Milan [in 2005] was a turnaround you don’t often see in football. I recall watching that when I was still in the youth teams at America Mineiro.
“I also remember seeing Ronaldinho destroying defences for Barcelona.”
Danilo also spoke of his football education and which players inspired him as a youngster.
“I never thought of doing anything else because football was the first thing that taught me about responsibility, as I’ve been playing since I was very young. So football was my first teacher.
“From my generation and in my position the player I watched a lot was Cafu. He’s a player who won a lot with Brazil and was captain of the national team for a long time, while he also made history outside Brazil.”
