John hails journey of overcoming adversity, celebrates first Brazil call-up | OneFootball

The goalkeeper John, 29 years old, former Botafogo player and currently at Nottingham Forest, couldn't hide his emotion when talking about his first call-up to the Brazilian National Team. The athlete celebrated the experience of wearing the Amarelinha jersey and emphasized how much it means to him to play alongside great professionals like Carlo Ancelotti and Taffarel.

“I am very happy, I thank God a lot. It's slowly sinking in, it was a dream to be here and today it's being realized,” said John, in an interview with CBF TV, recalling the moment he received the news of the call-up. He revealed that he was on the bus on his way to a game in the English Championship when he received the message from the General Supervisor of Men's Teams, Sérgio Dimas. “I didn't believe it at first, I even thought it was a prank. Then joy took over, especially celebrating with Igor Jesus,” he recounted.

The goalkeeper also highlighted that he sees the opportunity to defend the National Team as a new challenge every day.

“Just being here is already a great opportunity. In training and daily life, I will give my best. There will be two tough games, but I am sure we will play great matches and I hope to help in the best way possible,” he said.

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Overcoming

John did not fail to reflect on the journey that led him to this moment. Revealed by Santos, the goalkeeper went through periods of few opportunities, loans, and even times when he didn't have a sequence as a starter. After stints at Internacional, Real Valladolid, and Botafogo, he highlighted that the whole process contributed to his maturation.

“I matured a lot. There were difficult moments where I had to cling to my family, my wife, and my children. I matured as a human being, a father, a man. As a professional athlete, I evolved a lot, dedicating myself and working more and more, understanding the moments and the process. Everything served as a great learning experience for me,” he stated.

The native of Diadema also commented on the experience of working under the guidance of historical names in Brazilian goalkeeping. “It's all a dream being here in the National Team, with great professionals like Taffarel and Ancelotti. They are great figures for the National Team, so being here for me is priceless. I am very happy, content,” he added.

National Team Schedule

Brazil faces South Korea this Saturday, at 8 am (Brasília time), at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The match against Japan will be on the 14th, at 7:30 am.

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