Speaking to The Daily Mirror, Brazil legend Ronaldinho has tipped Gabriel Martinelli to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo.
What did he say?
The Arsenal starlet has enjoyed a meteoric rise since making a summer move to the Emirates from Ituano. The 18-year-old has already bagged ten goals across all competitions, including a fine solo strike in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League last week.
And former Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho has delivered a ringing endorsement of Martinelli’s talents, hailing both his talent and his confidence.
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He said: “We as Brazilians are very excited about him and his future. It is one thing to have the talent – but another at the age of 18 to have the confidence. He reminds me of Ronaldo. His first season in Europe he scored 30 goals and people were thinking: ‘who is this 18 year old Brazilian kid?’
“He wanted the ball, he would run at players, there was no fear no matter what players or team he was playing against – and I see that similar attitude in Martinelli. He just wants to be on the ball and score goals. Ronaldo went on to be the best player in the world – and that can also be the aim of Martinelli.”
Superstardom
Make no mistake about it, Martinelli’s start to his Arsenal career has been unprecedented – his haul of ten goals makes him the first Gunners player since Nicolas Anelka to reach that mark as a teenager.
Having arrived from little-known Brazilian side Ituano, the forward may have expected to have been on the fringes of first-team action this season. Instead, he has already featured 21 times across all competitions, including playing the full 90 minutes against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.
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As Ronaldinho suggests, the 18-year-old has the world at his feet. His composed finish at Stamford Bridge after running almost the entirety of the pitch provided a snapshot of his incredible talent. Now, he must continue to be fearless and take the game to the opposition every time.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have raved about this Premier League starlet after his goal-scoring display against Liverpool.