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Controversial ex-England international Joey Barton has aired his opinion on Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, predicting that the youngster 'won't be Messi' in his career.
The teenage sensation made the difference for Brazil against England in their recent friendly meeting at Wembley, as he scored his first international goal.
The Brazilian youngster has long made the headlines since he emerged as a 16-year-old phenom in Brazil, prompting a number of top sides to line up for his signature. Chelsea were close to signing him but Real Madrid managed to get a deal over the line for a reported fee of €60 million, a huge sum for a 16-year-old.
In the year since his signing for Los Blancos, Endrick has grown in leaps and bounds, making his Selecao debut at age 17 in 2023. His defining contribution against England was the most recent manifestation of his quality.
Former Newcastle United star Joey Barton remains unconvinced by the youngster despite his goalscoring performance against England. The former Bristol Rovers manager revealed on X that the youngster will be another show pony and that he would not be as good as Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney.
Barton wrote:
"Enrick debut goal at Wembley at 17. 😳. Strange shape and mover. Has streaks of Romario. Romario would have scored that chance at the end. Enrick (Big Shout! Will be another show pony.) Don’t think he moves well enough without the ball. He won’t be Messi. He won’t be Rooney. Vinicius Jr is Brazil’s best by a mile. Fantastic talent him."
Future Real Madrid teammates Endrick and Vinicius Jr combined to settle the game, Dorival Junior's first in charge of Brazil, at Wembley. The Real Madrid winger attempted a shot, which ricocheted into the path of the 17-year-old, who steered it home for the winner off the bench.
Endrick emulates Messi in England win
Brazilian teenager Endrick is a Cristiano Ronaldo fan and has managed to emulate his idol's biggest rival, in a way. By scoring against England at Wembley, the Palmeiras striker found the back of the net in his first match at Wembley Stadium.
Thirteen years ago, Messi found the net on his first visit to Wembley and, like Endrick, it came with his side being an 'away team'. The Argentine forward was on the scoresheet for Barcelona in their 3-1 win over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final of 2011.
In many ways, the youngster is different from Messi but they have been brought together by their exploits at Wembley. The Brazilian would do well to achieve even a quarter of what the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has, and he has all the time in the world to do so.
