The South American attacker has spoken about the challenges of adapting to life in English football since arriving at Nottingham Forest. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net 15 times across 36 appearances in all competitions for the Midlands club. He currently sits joint-top of the Europa League scoring charts with seven goals in that tournament and has also showcased his abilities in the Premier League. However, reaching this level has taken time to settle in. He completed his move to the City Ground from Botafogo during July, shortly after the Club World Cup and the end of the Brazilian campaign, and has admitted that adjusting proved difficult.
I’m truly delighted to have arrived here during my first season and achieved all of this, because relocating here and performing in the manner I have isn’t easy, the player explained to TNT Sports Brazil through Sport Witness. I spent a couple of matches on the bench, then Chris Wood picked up a knee injury and my opportunity came. From that moment, I started cementing my place in the team. I arrived with the intention to play, given that many players join here and don’t get game time in their opening year. I was also coming off a run of fixtures at Botafogo, which could have heightened tiredness and injury risk. I had no break. However, once I recognised the standard here is exceptionally high, I prepared far more meticulously; I instructed my personal trainer precisely which areas needed attention. Upon arrival, every player was strong and quick – it felt as though I was significantly behind. I feel much improved now and have developed considerably. The manager’s belief is crucial for ongoing progress.
The knee problem that kept Wood, Forest’s leading scorer from the previous season, sidelined for almost half a year meant the Brazilian became a regular starter. It was a steep learning curve.
What impressed me most was the speed of the game, the player observed. It’s incredibly rapid, and you have mere fractions of seconds to make decisions. Before the ball reaches you, you must already know what you plan to do. There’s constantly someone pressing you trying to win possession or commit a foul. In physical contests with defenders, I’d collide with them and they wouldn’t budge at all. I thought: ‘What’s going on here? I need to become stronger.’
One specific incident, during the encounter with Manchester United in December, demonstrated to the player how much he had advanced. It involved a challenge with Matthijs de Ligt. The player recounted: I collided with him and he actually moved, and I thought, ‘I’m progressing’. That demonstrates you have the ability to be here and experience all of this. It lifts your performance and assists you in reaching a superior level.
Wood’s comeback will surely help the Brazilian further in the coming weeks. The New Zealand international can reduce some of the burden on his teammate, and the pair have shown they can operate well together. Against Sunderland on Friday evening, manager Vitor Pereira employed the same formation that had worked so effectively in the second period against Burnley a week earlier. This meant the Brazilian operated behind Wood, functioning more as a number ten, with Morgan Gibbs-White on the left side. It produced results with a 5-0 demolition that moved the club nearer to Premier League survival. They still have work to do to secure their top-tier status and must balance that aim with their Europa League semi-final meeting against Aston Villa, though it could prove an extraordinary end to the campaign. The Brazilian is hoping for a double success, particularly given the impact Pereira has had since his arrival.
He’s given us significant confidence and shows precisely what he expects from us on the field, the attacker said of Pereira. That’s vital for development. He possesses Premier League experience and understands how things function here. The player added: It’s a fantastic chance to cap the season. Achieving survival in the Premier League while winning the Europa League would be a dream. But we take it one step at a time. We acknowledge our quality, though Aston Villa are also a very strong opponent.