Endrick’s form for Palmeiras shows he is getting ready for Real Madrid

The record-breaker is back. Endrick shattered goalscoring records in the youth categories and is now beginning to show his talent in professional football. The 17-year-old striker has been crucial in Palmeiras’ climb to the top of the Brasileirão: in the last four matches, he has scored four goals. A brace against then leaders Botafogo lit the fuse inside the club to pull off a comeback, coming back from 3-0 down to win 3-4.

Then came the winning goal against Athletico Paranaense (1-0) and, after a 3-0 loss to Flamengo, another left-footed strike from the edge of the box to score the second against Internacional (3-0). With nine goals in total in the league, he is the club’s top scorer.

Endrick statistics for Palmeiras

And compared to his attacking teammates, Endrick, who recently reached 50 games, has played a lot less. Raphael Veiga has eight goals in 2,120 minutes: Artur and Rony are on 5 after 1768 and 1596 minutes respectively; the future Real Madrid star has managed his nine goals in 1,255 minutes, a goal every 139.4. The Brasileirão has become his playground, a competition where he plays with ease and shows an innate connection with the opposition goal: he has converted six of the ten clear chances he has been presented with; of his 33 shots, 19 have found the net. All of this has been added to 29 completed dribbles and 33 fouls awarded in his favour.

Endrick is putting up numbers that show the type of 9 that Real Madrid have signed: powerful, the ability to beat a man, drive and imagination. Just look at his goals against Botafogo: a mazy run where he dodged defenders before a delightful control with his knee to score the second.

After a shaky start, Endrick has arrived at the decisive stretch of the season with confidence levels sky high: his own confidence and that of Abel Ferreira, who has carefully overseen every step taken by the club to ensure the progress of the future world star.

‘Mature minded’ Endrick is already breaking records

“He came to the first team at the right time, exactly when he had to. He started playing, he helped a lot last year, he has helped a lot this year. He had a bad period at the beginning, when he was criticised like everyone else when things don’t go well,” said his coach.

The forward went 12 games without a goal, with images of him crying with a towel covering his face going viral. Now, he is standing up to all the voices. “He is a boy with a very mature mind, one who respects the opponents a lot, he has a great mentality,” his coach emphasised. Paulo Victor Gomes told AS that ”he has a mentality of never being comfortable, a fighting mentality, of always wanting more”.

Such mental toughness has allowed him to overcome his first setback and earn a historic call-up with Brazil. He has been compared to Ronaldo Nazario and was the first teenager to be called up by the Canarinha since O Fenômeno himself, with the national team going almost 30 years without a player under 18 years-old, until Endrick came along. And there’s more: he is the youngest player ever to be called up to the senior team during a World Cup qualifier campaign.

‘I have to understand English as the global language of the football community’

The games that Brazil have are not easy: they will play both Colombia and Argentina. If Endrick makes his debut there will be a full bingo house of battered records, if he scores, the explosion will become unprecedented. During the call-up he will meet Vinicius, with whom he shares an agency, and Rodrygo: his first time with his future teammates. They are two ‘brothers’ who will welcome him with open arms in Madrid, and players who have already walked the path that he will take and will make his arrival easier.

Having said that, Endrick is also doing his part to make the arrival in the Spanish capital as smooth as possible. “Working with Sara has been instrumental in my development as a player. She has guided me in understanding the challenges I will face in moving to a new league, both on and off the field. The best thing you can do as a player is to invest in your personal development. I am joining a Spanish team and I have to understand English as the global language of the football community. It has not only helped me to improve my skills in Spanish and English, but also to understand the cultural differences I will encounter in Europe,” Endrick explained in Spanish on his social media accounts. The striker has put himself in the hands of Sara Duque, a language teacher specialised in the world of language learning for football professionals.

At Real Madrid the pressure will multiply by one million, but Endrick is doing all he can to be prepared. On the field, leading a champion team to the title and being part of the Brazil side led by Real Madrid’s Vinicius and Rodrygo, he is putting in the work required. July 21, 2024, the date on which he will come of age, is creeping closer. And Real Madrid are waiting with open arms.