Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has backed teammate Endrick to shine by claiming that he shares similar traits to Eden Hazard.
The Brazilian wonderkid recently began life at Los Blancos after joining from Palmeiras this summer, and he has already had his first experience of the iconic El Clasico fixture in a recent US friendly.
It was a disappointing introduction to the rivalry for the 18-year-old, as Real were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona, with Pau Victor’s double either side of half time enough to cancel out Nico Paz’ late strike.
The occasion proved difficult for Endrick, who struggled to make an impact in the match, but despite this, his goalkeeper revealed that he has been impressed by him, and likened him to a former teammate.
Speaking to Spanish outlet El Diario, Courtois said of the teenager: “He’s not very tall, but he’s very strong-legged. He’s a bit like I knew Eden [Hazard] at Chelsea, who has strong legs.
“You can give him a kick and he’s going to stay on his feet. And he has a lot of strength in his shot. In training I’ve seen him shoot hard.”
This is certainly high praise from the Belgian stopper, who spent the best part of 12 years playing alongside former Chelsea and Belgium hero Hazard at both club and international level.
The winger starred during his seven years at the Blues, winning the Premier League twice and scooping the 2014/15 league Player of the Season award, before joining Real for a club-record fee in 2019.
However, injuries saw him struggle to replicate his past form in the Spanish capital, and he ultimately called time on his career in 2023, having departed the club months earlier.
Endrick will be hoping to enjoy a more successful spell at the European giants than Hazard, and Courtois also had some words of advice for the promising young talent in this respect.
He continued: “Endrick has a lot of strength, a lot of power. And maybe he needs to be a bit calmer still.
“I’m not saying he’s nervous, but it’s normal when you’re playing with Madrid in big games and you get a bit more nervous. But you can see in training that he has a lot of goals in him and a lot of strength.”
The 32-year-old remained optimistic of his huge potential, later adding: “He’s going to get better and better.”
And it isn’t just his teammate that has been impressed with the Brazilian so far, with manager Carlo Ancelotti also praising him after his debut in a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan earlier in pre-season .
The Italian said: “He’s very fast, very dangerous in tight spaces, has the ability to turn with speed in little space, very agile in getting himself free, and all these qualities he has means he’s a great talent.
“It’s rare to see a player with these types of characteristics.”
With starman Jude Bellingham and new Galactico Kylian Mbappe yet to report to duty at Real following Euro 2024, fans can expect to see even more of Endrick’s abilities when the talented trio eventually link up on the pitch.
Having only turned 18 in July, the starlet is widely regarded as one of football’s most promising youngsters after starring in Serie A in Brazil, scoring 21 goals in 82 appearances whilst at Palmeiras.
He signed for Los Blancos in a pre-agreement in 2022, and gained further attention after netting the winner in a 1-0 friendly win for Brazil over England in March.
News Summary:
- Thibaut Courtois compares Real Madrid new boy Endrick to Eden Hazard for key reasons
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