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Real Madrid youngster is grateful for Zidane’s teachings

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As he enters his second season at Real Madrid, one of the club’s youngsters revealed how Zidane’s teachings help him improve. 

Real Madrid made it a mission to have Zidane teach all the youngsters they have in order to get them to improve their game. There are several young talents who have the potential to become world-class superstars in the next decade. One of them is Brazilian Rodrygo Goes, who is starting his second season as a Real Madrid player.

After coming from Santos for 45 million in 2019, he had a good first season but he lowered his level in recent months. Regardless of this dip in form, he did get a call-up from Tite to represent Brazil during the current international break. 

The player thinks Zidane’s teachings had something to do with that: “I’m the type of kid who listens to what the elders have to say,” said Rodrygo to AS.

“I believe I’ve grown quite a bit on every aspect of my life this year. I’m happy that a lot of people helped me so far. I think working at Real Madrid with Zidane helped my game improve as a winger. 

“Once I realized I could play more minutes if I performed on both sides, that was an important moment for me. I started playing on the right at Real Madrid. It’s been an interesting adaptation process, but it opens up choices for me at the club and the national team. This is always better for my career.”

Comparisons with Neymar and Robinho. 

Given his background as a Santos player, Rodrygo has lived with the stigma of being compared with other great players from that club. Neymar and Robinho are the most obvious choices when they talk about him. Especially for the position he plays on the pitch, as an offensive winger. 

“From the start of my career at Santos, they already compared me with Neymar and Robinho,” he added. “I’ve always wanted to be Rodrygo though, make my own story. They already have their own. I’m barely starting. There is only one Neymar and one Robinho. I’ve always tried to get that weight off my shoulders and simply be Rodrygo.”

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