"I want to be like him" - Brazilian sensation Endrick's choice between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi revealed

Douglas Sousa, the father of wunderkind Endrick, has revealed his son’s preference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, stating it’s the Portuguese who inspires him.

Palmeiras’ Under-20 star Endrick has become the latest Brazilian wonderkid to draw attention from European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both La Liga giants are currently keeping an eye on the player and are prepared to offer him lucrative deals.

Like Messi and Ronaldo, the 15-year-old is emerging as a teen sensation and has already proved himself to be quite a handful for his opponents. Sousa, an immensely proud father, has revealed Endrick is determined to follow the Manchester United number 7 in his footsteps and be a model athlete.

When asked about Endrick’s inspiration, Sousa told Nosso Palestra:

“Endrick follows a lot and is a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. He has him as a great example. He even says: “Dad, I want to be like Cristiano””

“He read some articles and knows that Cristiano doesn't have a tattoo, because he donates blood. In the same way that Cristiano is driven by challenges, so is Endrick. He likes to train, to improve himself every day, so he has a main mirror in this athlete.”

In the end, Sousa revealed his son picked the Portuguese when asked to name his favorites out of Cristiano, Messi and Neymar.

He added:

“Once they put three players: Cristiano, Neymar and Messi, he chose Cristiano.”

If rumors are to be believed, Endrick is likely to be picked up by either Los Blancos or the Blaugrana. Unfortunately, even if the deal goes through, Spanish football fans will not be able to see him in action until he turns 18.

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Endrick’s love for Ronaldo could complicate transfer for Messi’s ex-club Barcelona

Barcelona are doing their best to sign Endrick from Palmeiras this season. The Blaugrana are prepared to pay a whopping €45 million for his services, split evenly into three installments. Unfortunately, the 15-year-old’s love for Ronaldo could keep Messi’s former club from finalizing the transfer.

If the teenager is determined to follow the Portugal skipper closely, he could choose to move to England instead of Spain. Both Manchester clubs are believed to be interested in his services, but Ronaldo’s current club, United, have a clear advantage. Will Barcelona be able to persuade Enrick or will the Red Devils complete a late swoop? The saga looks destined to have a twist in the tale.