The Brazilian's double against Celta makes the stats crazy, making it a goal every 72 minutes, the third best in Europe.
He may not know how he does it, but he does it effortlessly: everything he touches turns to gold.
Meet Real Madrid's own Midas, or at least an ambitious one. His name is Endrick, but in the locker room he is affectionately called Bobby. This nickname stems from a recent interview in which he claimed that his childhood idols were Cristiano Ronaldo and Bobby Charlton, despite Charlton having retired 31 years before Endrick's birth. Something isn't quite right. And the jokes have been relentless ever since – courtesy of his teammates. However, the goals are all his. They seem to fall out of his pockets. It's a gift.
With his brace against Celta, he now boasts an average of a goal every 72 minutes. But that's not all. It is the third best scoring rate in Europe.
Endrick, the disappearing star
Endrick seems to disappear from view. Since the match against Montilivi, manager Carlo Ancelotti has given him just 12 minutes on the pitch, not including the match against Deportivo Minera. In between there have been two finals and shows, such as the friendly match in Bergamo. Everyone has watched him from the sidelines, watching time pass, life moving on and listening to discouraging arguments.
“There is a lot of talk about Endrick, it is said that he has not played much, that I am not giving him any minutes… blah blah blah, but you have to remember that he is still very young, has to adapt, improve, learn and against have to play him. If the team is not performing well, it can be counterproductive. Instead of helping him, it could hurt him. I have to think about all these things,” Carlo Ancelotti said in December.
Touched by a magic wand
Invisible yet impactful
Bronze in Europe
Of tears…
Endrick, who also shed blood against Valladolid (his official debut) and Stuttgart (his Champions League debut), is a boy with charisma. The one who cried with emotion during his presentation. “As a child I dreamed of playing for Real Madrid… and that's what I'm going to do,” he said, his voice shaking, in front of 45,000 people on his sixth day of legal adulthood. That's how his story began. And so it is unfolding now.
Months of intense psychological work. Not understanding why he barely played, but didn't give up. “Rüdiger says I have to keep working hard, even if I don't play,” he admitted after the match. “Ancelotti knows he doesn't have to look for the best for Endrick, but for the team,” he added.
…sweating
His relationship with the coach is cool. But professional. “I don't talk to the manager much, but on the first day he told me that the most important thing here is to work… and he knows I do it every day. I am grateful because he has been a wonderful person to me,” he concluded. And he left the Bernabéu with a serious face, as is his nature. But inside he embodies the belief that, as the A-Team's Hannibal would say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
The third attacker with the best scoring average in Europe has opened the door. The main character of a case worth studying. The hero of the Copa. The one who scores every 72 minutes despite everything. Maybe he doesn't know how he does it, but he turns everything he touches into gold. Endrick scores goals every hour. Meet Real Madrid's very own Midas. Bobby.
Comments