Young midfielder inspired by Corinthians idols earns Dorival’s trust | OneFootball

The young midfielder André is gaining more and more space at Corinthians. One of Timão’s revelations this season, the 19-year-old scored the team’s only goal in the 2-1 defeat to Fortaleza last Wednesday at Arena Castelão, and draws inspiration from club idols who played in his position.

After the match in Ceará, the “Filho do Terrão” revealed that he looks up to two former Corinthians players: Paulinho and Elias. The youngster believes the pair share similar characteristics with him, such as making runs into the box.

“Elias was always someone I really enjoyed watching. Elias and Paulinho have the same style. I believe I have some similarities with them. The coaches in the youth academy always told me to get into the box, that the ball would always fall to me. Today I was happy to score a goal, and I did it against Mirassol too,” said André.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Praise from Dorival

The midfielder’s good performance earned praise from coach Dorival Júnior, who sees a “brilliant future” for the youngster. He has been given opportunities, even as a starter, and has become an option for the match against Cruzeiro in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil.

“If we have patience with this boy, I have no doubt he will have a brilliant future ahead. He gives off a great sense of security. We feel he is gaining more and more confidence. We have prepared André a lot, just as we did with Gui and Dieguinho, hoping to have these boys in the best possible condition for the games against Cruzeiro. God willing, Corinthians will fight for the chance to be in another final,” commented Dorival.

André’s Numbers

Born in 2006, André went through all the youth categories at Corinthians and was promoted to the first team this year by Dorival. He has already played eight matches, one as a starter, and has found the net twice.

Corinthians’ Next Match

Standings Situation

The defeat to Fortaleza took away Corinthians’ chance to reach eighth place in the table. The alvinegro team, therefore, depends on winning the Copa do Brasil to qualify for the Libertadores in 2026. Timão is currently in tenth place in the Brasileirão, with 46 points.

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