Future Real Madrid forward Endrick Felipe will move to Spain in July, when he turns 18, and few will have faced such a test of their maturity in their teenage years as the young Brazilian. Already having dealt with the media spotlight in Brazil, he will be flying the green and gold flag on the global stage, at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Those around him believe he has the composure to deal with it though.
“My mother and my sister say that I’m cold,” he told The Guardian.
“People say I have a heart of ice and I’m very cold with the decisions I make and what I say,”
Earlier in the year was the first sign of pressure affecting him though, as he lost his place in the Palmeiras team, and went through a spell where goals were hard to come by. Images of his tears on the bench, bearing in mind he was just turned 17 at the time, plastered the Brazilian press.
“I was angry at one time because I wanted to show them who I was. I tried to counter the criticism and show who I am. But then I understood that I didn’t need to prove it, I didn’t need to show the opposite. I’m Endrick. If they want to insult me, I won’t see it. Yes, it’s difficult, but … it doesn’t matter to me any more. Criticism doesn’t hurt me any more.”
Part of the process for Endrick handling the pressure on him will be going through difficult periods and overcoming them. He shows remarkable self-awareness though, and while he never went hungry, his parents did at times, and he said he was determined to make the most of the chances he has, and ensure they never have to go through that again. One of the ways in which he is doing so is by learning languages.
“I set a goal for myself that I need to learn 5 languages. One of them will be very different because it will be very important to me. I want to learn sign language. I want to connect with everyone. I want to speak to the people who don’t hear."
Endrick in @guardian_sport. pic.twitter.com/9g3PIqUEms
— Football España (@footballespana_) December 11, 2023
If Endrick can carry that attitude into the Santiago Bernabeu, it will serve him well. However the Real Madrid spotlight is relentless, and after recently swinging at an opponent on the pitch, those outbursts, normal for most people, will cost him from the summer onwards. Not that Brazilian stardom is easy to handle either, having made his Brazil debut last month.
Image via Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images
