‘Little Ronaldo’ Lands In Madrid

Real Madrid’s latest recruit, 16 year old Brazilian Alipio Duarte Brandao, touched down in the Spanish capital yesterday and he wasted little time getting straight down to business.

Brandao, already nicknamed the ‘New Ronaldo’ and ‘Little Ronaldo’ arrived in Madrid yesterday where he immediately underwent an introductory training session with Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team that he will be playing for.

But in his first few hours in the Spanish capital, he spent some time talking with the club’s official website, revealing a little about himself and his dreams.

“Raúl and Pepe are my favourites and the two players I really look up to,” he started off.

“Raúl has a lot of experience and he is a role model for all. Pepe is a nice person and a great player and he’s helping me a lot already. He told me to work hard every day and be patient."

“Valdebebas (Madrid’s training centre) is incredible. It’s out of this world and working in such a facility will only motivate me more."

“My brother once told me that one day I would play for Real Madrid. I have always dreamed about playing for such a club and once you learn about Madrid, playing here is all you think about,” he gushed.

The teenager then went on to describe himself and his key attributes: “Like any good Brazilian footballer, I think my strong points are my skill, my speed and vision for the game. But there’s still a lot I have to improve.

“My dream now is to score my first goal so I can dedicate it to my mother,” he concluded.

Brandao joins Madrid from Portuguese second division side, Rio Ave.