New Chelsea star Estevao Willian has revealed that he was once almost moved to tears by a message from his idol, Neymar. The 18-year-old is set to join the Blues from Palmeiras this summer in a deal worth around £51 million.
Despite his young age, Estevao Willian has established himself as one of the best young players in the world, and there is much excitement about his move to Stamford Bridge.
In his breakthrough season last year, Estevao Willian scored 15 times in 45 appearances for Palmeiras, which made the world notice his abilities.
In an open letter to the Players’ Tribune ahead of his move to Chelsea, Estevao Willian has revealed how a message from his idol Neymar once nearly moved him to tears after he missed a penalty against Corinthians.
He wrote: “The very first time he messaged me, I nearly cried. My biggest reference in football knows about me. And do you remember how sad I was when I missed the penalty against Corinthians? Dad, you usually give me a complete breakdown of my game, but that time there were no words. You looked at me, and you could tell that I was completely broken.”
“I disappeared into my own little world, just me and my phone. I didn’t even want to look at the news. I opened Instagram, looking for something to cheer me up. A funny meme. A silly reel. Anything. Then I checked my DMs, and I saw it. Neymar Jr. Another DM from my football idol.”
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Estevao Willian shared how Neymar told him to keep his head up and reminded him that missing chances was part of the game. He then underlined how much the message from his idol meant to him.
“He really didn’t have to do it, but he knew how much pressure a 17-year-old can go through in Brazil, and how the fans and the media can kick you when you’re down. He told me to stay confident and said that I’m going to miss many more penalties in my career. It’s part of the game. What matters is how you react. Mom, Dad, I’m not even sure you realise what that meant to me”.
How Estevao Willian once broke Neymar’s record
Estevao Willian is believed to be the next big superstar in Brazilian football after Neymar, and the youngster has been following in the footsteps of his idol so far.
He broke Neymar’s record for most goal contributions by an Under-17 player in the Brazilian top flight, after finishing the season with 13 goals and nine assists, and Neymar congratulated him on the achievement.
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