CAPE TOWN – Arsenal’s Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli was honoured after Ronaldinho compared him to Ronaldo.
Th 19-year-old Martinelli is one of the most exciting prospects in football, and an impressed Ronaldinho said the Arsenal man reminded him of his old team-mate.
“We as Brazilians are very excited about him and his future. It is one thing to have talent, but another at the age of 18 to have the confidence,” Ronaldinho said earlier this year.
“He reminds me of Ronaldo. In 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.”
Responding to Ronaldinho’s claims, Martinelli told Arsenal’s YouTube channel: “Wow, when I heard that I couldn’t believe it. It’s crazy because I was in Brazil until recently, playing in the Copa Sao Paulo, which is a prestigious youth-level competitions, but it’s nothing like the Premier League.
“To get here and play in the Premier League for Arsenal, one of the best clubs in the world, and for one of the best Brazilian players of all time to speak so highy of me and compare me with one of the best forwards in football history is something that seems hard to believe.
“You think, ‘could he really be talking about me? Is it me? To be honest, it still hasn’t sunk in. That’s the case for many things because they’ve happened so quickly in my life.
“As I said I always have to keep my feet on the ground. I’m grateful for those who praise me and I always try to give my best to keep earning that praise but above all it’s about working hard and going for wins and success here at Arsenal,” said Martinelli.