Endrick receives star treatment at Palmeiras as he tries to keep his feet on the ground

At the entrance to the amphitheater of the Football Museum, in the Pacaembu stadium, a panel displayed last Tuesday (22) the covers of newspapers in Spain. All featured full-page photos of forward Endrick, a Palmeiras academy player, accompanied by phrases in which he praised Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Inside the museum, professionals from ten press vehicles were present at the event in which the 15-year-old boy presented his new sponsor. After answering questions with his father and a representative of the brand, the athlete individually attended to each journalist present.

The marathon of interviews was only interrupted when a fan, especially if he was a child, approached to ask for a photo with the Palmeirense, which he promptly answered.

“I like that. There was a boy here who was very happy, got out of the car and came running to ask for a photo. I’ve been told that I’m a very humble boy, I don’t think. I have to improve this more and more”, Endrick told the sheet. “They’re kids and they see me as an idol. I’m still a kid too, so it’s really good, I’m really happy.”

One of the great names of Palmeiras in winning the unprecedented title of Copa São Paulo, in January, the player has a strong connection with the kids. It was his goal that paved the way for the 4-0 rout over Santos, in the decision played at Allianz Parque.

He had also shone in the quarter-finals, when he scored a bicycle kick against Oeste from outside the area, in the 5-2 victory of Alviverde.

His performances at Copinha led the fans to campaign for Abel Ferreira to take him along with the delegation that would compete in the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. At the time, however, the coach said that he could not skip stages and that it was better for the young man to go to Disney after winning the Cup.

Endrick wasn’t upset. On the contrary, he understands that he should not rush his evolution in football, especially since he will only be able to sign his first professional contract with Palmeiras in July, when he will be 16 years old. For now, the alviverde team has a training club document.

Despite looking forward to playing in the first team, he relies on advice he received from Ronaldo. “He told me to always remain humble, even with all the harassment,” he recalled. “On the pitch, he also told me to always be cool when finishing.”

This skill with the ball the youngster already carries with him. As well as the power in the kick that made him called a “force of nature” by the coordinator of the alviverde base, João Paulo Sampaio.

There is huge expectation for him at the club. So much so that, according to Sampaio, if any rival in Brazil wants to take him out of Palmeiras, he will have to pay R$20 million. In Europe, he can only play when he is 18 years old.

The praise for Real Madrid and Barcelona printed by Spanish newspapers is no accident. The two giants from Spain are among the clubs that have started to monitor him.

He has also attracted attention from outside the football market. On Tuesday, the athlete was announced as the new face of the dental clinic network OdontoCompany. The three-year agreement, which provides bonuses for goals achieved, made him the youngest soccer player in Brazil to sign a sponsorship deal with a brand that is not a supplier of sporting goods.

Before, the youngest was Neymar, in 2010, aged 18.

A decisive factor for Endrick being contacted by the company was the story of his father, Douglas Souza, 47. As a child, Douglas suffered a burn on his hand and, due to the many antibiotics he had to take, he ended up having a reaction that made him lose part of the dental arch.

When his son joined the Palmeiras base, he got a job as a janitor at the club. Lacking some teeth, he only ate soup and broth in the club’s cafeteria. The situation moved goalkeeper Jailson, who paid him a treatment.

“My dream was to be able to eat an apple, like everyone else, to be able to take a good bite”, says the athlete’s father. The story caught the attention of the dental company, which also sponsors skater Rayssa Leal, a Fadinha, silver medalist at the Tokyo-2020 Games.

Douglas also likes to show his smile when he talks about his son. When he was younger, he tried to be a professional player but failed. When he saw that his son could follow the same path, he did everything he could to help him.

Before joining the Palmeiras base, the boy tried his luck at Corinthians, São Paulo and Santos, but none of the clubs was willing to give a subsistence allowance for the family to come live in the capital of São Paulo – they lived in Valparaíso, in countryside of Goiás. São Paulo even offered R$ 150 per month, an amount that Douglas could not accept.

Palmeiras, however, decided to help the family and offered Douglas a job as a janitor. In addition to befriending Jailson, he was able to follow his son’s development.

“I didn’t make my dream come true, but God gave us the possibility to make the dream come true through my son. The family has good expectations, but we have our feet on the ground,” he said.

Endrick, however, already knows that he will completely change his family’s lives. This is his greatest wish, especially for his three-year-old brother Noah.

“I want to give everything to him. I remember that sometimes, at the market, I would ask my father for a snack, an ice cream or a Coke, but he had no money. I want to give everything to my brother. A nice house, where he can open the closet and have everything he wants, a cookie, something,” he said.