John Kennedy closes in on historic mark among Xerém scorers at Fluminense | OneFootball

Living through one of the most decisive periods of his career, John Kennedy is beginning to close in on an important milestone in Xerém’s history. With 35 goals scored for Fluminense’s senior team, the striker already sits in third place among the top scorers developed in the club’s academy this century and continues to narrow the gap to the top of the ranking.

The list brings together some of the main names produced by the club in recent decades and reinforces the historic importance of Fluminense’s academy in Brazilian football. Today, only Roger Flores and Marcos Júnior are ahead of John Kennedy in number of goals scored for the senior team.

Ranking of Fluminense’s top scorers developed in Xerém

1st Roger Flores – 56 goals 2nd Marcos Júnior – 37 goals 3rd John Kennedy – 35 goals 4th Pedro – 31 goals 5th Alan and Marco Brito – 29 goals 6th Gustavo Scarpa – 26 goals 7th Marcelo Macedo – 21 goals 8th Thiago Silva – 19 goals 9th Júlio César and Carlos Alberto – 18 goals 10th Wellington Nem and Wellington Silva – 17 goals

With his current strong run, John Kennedy is just three goals away from overtaking Marcos Júnior and moving into second place on the list. In addition, the number 9 is enjoying the most efficient season of his career in terms of goals per match played.

Since making his senior debut, John Kennedy has recorded:

Roger Flores remains comfortably at the top

The leader of the ranking, Roger Flores left his mark at Fluminense between 1996 and the early 2000s. Developed in Xerém, the attacking midfielder stood out for his refined technique and quickly became a symbol of one of the most talented generations in the club’s academy.

In total, across different spells including time with Benfica of Portugal, he scored 56 goals for the senior team before transferring to Corinthians. To this day, he is regarded as one of the most talented players ever produced by the club.

Marcos Júnior, “Kuririn,” surprises in second place

Second on the list, Marcos Júnior scored 37 goals for Fluminense and built a long career at the club. Even without the status of a major star, he was a useful piece in different seasons and took part in important campaigns between 2012 and 2018.

Versatile and closely identified with the club, he ended up overtaking more high-profile names in Xerém’s historical ranking.

Scarpa, Thiago Silva and other historic names

The ranking also includes players who left their mark at Fluminense in different ways.

With 26 goals, Gustavo Scarpa was one of the team’s standout technical players before moving to Palmeiras. In addition to his goals, he also racked up a large number of assists and major attacking influence.

Thiago Silva appears on the list in a curious way. Even as a defender, he scored 19 goals for the club. Known as “Monster,” he was part of memorable campaigns and established himself as a goal-scoring defender for Fluminense.

Wellington Nem, Carlos Alberto, Júlio César and Wellington Silva also appear among the main names developed in Xerém, reinforcing the attacking tradition of Fluminense’s academy over the past decades.

Current form puts John Kennedy close to history

John Kennedy’s current form has fans seeing the possibility of major changes in the ranking as early as this season. At 24 years old, the striker still has room to climb quickly if he maintains his recent scoring average.

More than just the raw numbers, the number 9 has been piling up decisive goals and strengthening his bond with the club. In an increasingly competitive squad, John Kennedy seems determined to turn his recent prominence into a permanent place in Xerém’s history.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.