Why I don’t want my child to play football —Endrick

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Brazil forward Endrick has revealed that he does not want his child to follow his footsteps by playing football because he wants them to have a ‘peaceful life.’

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian UK, the Lyon forward, who is currently on loan from Real Madrid, highlighted the intense pressure and toxic nature of professional football, stating it is “not a nice place.”

He further expressed a preference for his future child to pursue careers in medicine or law.

The 19-year-old is expecting a child with his wife Gabriely at the end of the year, and even with the couple unaware of the baby’s sex, the player has insisted he doesn’t want them to follow in his footsteps in football.

“I hope he or she becomes a great person, a great human being. And that he sees me off the pitch as a normal person, not as Endrick the footballer. Football isn’t a nice place. It’s a very tough environment. I hope he or she becomes a lawyer, a doctor or anything else, and can be happy in his own world,” he said.

Furthermore, he also cited handling social media, criticism, and injuries as reasons for his remark, reflecting on the harsh conditions attached to professional football.

“I had a complicated injury and lost a lot of time. It kept me away from many matches, training and work. I couldn’t compete. When you get injured, you lose everything. You lose the chance to fight for a place. These are things beyond my control.”

“I was really afraid. I cried several times. That’s something you do in private. I didn’t know how to deal with my injury, what to expect. You don’t know if you’ll have a relapse, if you’ll keep your strength, if you’ll come back weaker. That affects you a lot. You get scared of the future. But I knew I had to keep going. If I’d had another injury, I’d have gone through the whole process again. I knew that when I came back, I’d have to give it my best,” he added.

Endrick also thanked Jude Bellingham for making him feel welcome and supporting him during his initial struggles at Real Madrid.

“Bellingham was really important to me. He made me feel welcome at the club. I didn’t speak English very well, but he spoke to me, tried to speak a bit of Spanish, was by my side and gave me advice.

“His friendship was important to me in my beginning at Real Madrid. That really had an impact on me. I had a certain impression of him before I arrived, but he was completely different. He’s an incredible player and an incredible person too, especially when it comes to friendship. That’s what impressed me the most about him,” he said.

After stalling at Real Madrid, where he played only three times in six months, Endrick has found form on loan at Lyon and is desperate to make Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad.

He added, “My first desire is to play the World Cup. I need to be there. That’s my first thought. Before thinking about the title, I need to do my job well at Lyon. I’m focused here. I need to play well in these remaining games to secure my place. My dream is to play the World Cup and help my country. I’ll do my best to help Brazil.”