Author – Amrit Santlani
Former Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho believes that Vitor Roque will conquer “world soccer”, as the Athletico Paranaense teenager is causing a sensation with his performances in Brazil.
Fernandinho joined Paranaense after ending an incredibly successful spell at Man City at the end of last season. Since arriving at the club of his childhood, the Brazilian veteran has been impressed by the performances of one of the gems that Fernandinho himself backed in order to make a big-money move to Europe.
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Roque is on the radar of many European clubs, and Barcelona in particular are known to be very close to the 18-year-old’s entourage, so a move across the Atlantic could be on the cards.
“He has a bright future. I’m sure his natural path will be to excel in international and world soccer“, said Fernandinho, praising the quality of his team-mate, after providing an assist for Roque in Paranaense’s 2-1 win over Flamengo in the Serie A Brazilian Championship match on Monday.
“For me, there’s no doubt that Vitor Roque is a pearl that we have in our team, and we’re all very happy to have him by our side,” the veteran midfielder told Catalan newspaper Sport.
Fernandinho also said that Roque, despite all his promise, has a good attitude and always listens to the people around him, an attribute that is very important for a young player.
“He is a humble person and a warrior. We’re talking about a boy who always listens to the advice of the coaching staff and the more experienced players. That’s why we’re all so happy to have been able to play a very significant part in their education” added the 38-year-old coach.
Vitor Roque scored seven goals and also provided two assists in 15 appearances for the club. In a very short period of time, he has become an important figure for Paranaense, which is why they didn’t allow him to take part in the U-20 World Cup in Argentina so that he could be useful in national competitions.