Endrick Ungkap Dukungan Bellingham dan Alexander-Arnold di Real Madrid

Penyerang tim nasional Brasil Endrick mengungkapkan tantangan berat pada awal kariernya di Real Madrid serta besarnya dukungan moral dari rekan setimnya menjelang kompetisi Piala Dunia 2026.

Pemain berusia 19 tahun tersebut sempat kesulitan menembus tim utama Los Blancos sebelum akhirnya bangkit melalui masa peminjaman selama enam bulan bersama klub Prancis, Lyon. Performa apik di Ligue 1 membuat Endrick dipanggil oleh pelatih Carlo Ancelotti untuk memperkuat skuad Selecao di Amerika Tengah.

Dalam wawancara bersama Men in Blazers di YouTube, mantan penggawa Palmeiras ini menegaskan bahwa dirinya sama sekali tidak ragu untuk menerima pinangan dari sang juara bertahan Liga Champions tersebut karena mengagumi sejarah klub.

"In the end, when Real Madrid calls you and makes you an offer, it’s impossible to say no. It’s the best team in the world and where everyone wants to play. When I received the offer at Palmeiras, I didn’t hesitate for a second." kata Endrick.

Hasrat besar untuk berseragam El Real didorong oleh kekagumannya terhadap para legenda sepak bola asal negaranya serta sosok megabintang asal Portugal yang pernah merumput di Santiago Bernabeu.

"My childhood idol was Cristiano Ronaldo. When he signed for Madrid, it made me dream even more about playing there. There have also been so many Brazilians throughout history who played for Real Madrid, and that always made it my dream to wear that shirt." ujar Endrick.

Ketatnya persaingan di bawah asuhan Carlo Ancelotti membuat musim pertamanya berjalan tidak mudah karena harus bersaing dengan barisan pemain bintang dunia yang menghuni skuad utama Los Blancos.

"The first year is difficult. You arrive at a team with players like Modric, Vinicius and Rodrygo. It’s very hard to play when you have all of them around you, but you also learn so much. Everything I learned there, I was able to put into practice at Lyon, and when I return, I’ll be able to show it there as well." ungkap Endrick.

Di tengah situasi pelik tersebut, komunikasi intensif dengan Jude Bellingham dan Trent Alexander-Arnold menjadi penopang emosional yang luar biasa bagi sang striker muda meskipun menghadapi kendala bahasa.

"Bellingham calls me every day. When I was struggling, he would come over and we would talk. He helped me a lot. Trent as well. They’re very close and approachable players. I try to learn from them, including English, but it’s impossible to understand them." tutur Endrick.

Langkah kepindahan sementara ke Prancis terbukti menjadi titik balik krusial yang sukses mengembalikan ketajaman serta kepercayaan diri sang penyerang di lapangan hijau.

"It wasn’t difficult to go to Lyon. In the end, God told me I had to go, and I went. I wasn’t afraid. It has been one of the best decisions of my life. I needed to play. I’ve been able to score goals, provide assists and play a lot of minutes." jelas Endrick.

Berdasarkan data goal.com, ia mengoleksi lima gol dan tujuh asis dari 16 laga liga domestik, sementara catatan tribalfootball.com menyebutkan ia mengemas delapan gol dan delapan asis dari 21 laga di semua kompetisi bersama skuad asuhan Paulo Fonseca.

"Playing in a World Cup is the greatest thing. Being able to represent my country is a dream. The World Cup means so much to people, and it has been a long time since Brazil won it." sebut Endrick.

Meskipun Direktur Teknik Lyon Matthieu Louis-Jean membuka peluang untuk meminjamnya kembali, sang pemain yang terikat kontrak di Bernabeu hingga Juni 2030 kini fokus menghadapi turnamen global.

"Neymar has Brazil’s DNA. He is one of the best players in our history. I get along very well with Ancelotti. He’s a great coach and understands you very well as a person. I know they have a lot of affection for me." pungkas Endrick.

Tim nasional Brasil dijadwalkan akan memulai pertandingan pembuka Grup C Piala Dunia 2026 menghadapi Maroko di MetLife Stadium pada Sabtu, 13 Juni 2026, sebelum bertemu Haiti dan Skotlandia.