Real Madrid reached an agreement with Palmeiras last week for young forward Endrick to join Los Blancos in the summer of 2024.
Real Madrid have a proud history of signing the best Brazilian talents and the Spanish club have identified 16-year-old Palmeiras forward Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa – known simply as Endrick – as the next big thing. So excited are Real Madrid about the teenager's potential that they have already reached an agreement with the Brazilian club to sign the player when he turns 18 years of age in the summer of 2024. Here are five things that you might not know about this future LaLiga star.
He's already broken records at Palmeiras
Even though Endrick only made his senior debut with Palmeiras in October 2022, he has already impressed for the São Paulo-based club and has broken various records. In making his debut aged 16 years, two months and 15 days, he became the youngest ever player to feature for the Palmeiras first team. When he scored his first goal aged 16 years, three months and four days, he was also the youngest in club history to do so.
He ended up in São Paulo thanks to YouTube
Although Endrick came through the Palmeiras youth academy, he isn't from São Paulo. The youngster grew up in Brasilia and wasn't initially on the radar of the country's biggest clubs. But his father shared videos of the youngster's best goals and skills on YouTube and this sparked interest. When he turned 11 years, Palmeiras offered Endrick's family an apartment in São Paulo and helped his father secure a job as a cleaner.
The story behind his smile
Endrick has a charming smile and one of the first brands he has worked with as a sponsor is a dental company. There is a particular reason for wanting to work with such a brand: his father had suffered an accident and lost most of his teeth. When he ate at the Palmeiras facilities during his time there as a cleaner, Endrick's father would never eat solid food, only soups. When first-team goalkeeper Jailson realised this, he paid for full dental treatment. To this day, Endrick's entire family are grateful for that act of kindness.
He is already a U-20 player for Brazil
Even though he is still so young, Endrick has been called up by his country for the U-20 South American Championship, playing with players potentially four years older than him. It will take place in Colombia from January 19th to February 12th 2023 and he'll look to replicate the success he enjoyed at the prestigious U-16 Montaigu Tournament, when he was top scorer as Brazil lifted the trophy.
He admires former Real Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo
Endrick was only three years old when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid, so the Brazilian grew up watching the Portuguese superstar playing at the highest level. So impressed was he by Ronaldo's performances, especially at Real Madrid, that he considers the Portuguese as his ultimate idol and role model in football.
