When Murillo moved to Nottingham Forest from Corinthians in 2023, progressing his chances of playing for Brazil was given as one of the reasons.
That didn’t convince everyone. Nottingham Forest weren’t even secured of Premier League continuance and Murillo could have disappeared into their ever-changing squad, rarely to be seen again.
The 22-year-old himself was clearly correct and is now on the verge of making his debut for Brazil. He could not be happier, and wheeled out at a press conference to introduce himself to the Brazilian media, he was beaming from ear to ear.
Globo Esporte have carried his quotes on various matters, and first of all they shared his expressions of happiness: “I have to thank God. I am very happy to have made this dream come true. I see players that I only saw on TV or in video games, now I share the training camp and the field. It is a privilege. I am living a dream and I feel fulfilled. If God allows it, it will be the first of many. I hope to fulfil my duty for the national team.”
According to Globo Esporte it was something of a ‘baptism’ for the youngster in front of the media, so he will have been conscious to say the right things and went on to explain how Brazil is completely different from anything he’s experienced before: “I always joked and said that we get used to good things quickly and adapt quickly. The more focused you are on football, the better things will work out and come back to you.
“It was like that at Corinthians and Nottingham. But the national team is different. It’s a bigger burden, a bigger competition, extremely high-quality players. I arrived with my feet on the ground to do my job and give my best.”
Asked about his support network, perhaps with the insinuation he’s going to need one now with the added pressure of the national team, the Nottingham Forest player answered: “I don’t have a psychologist at the moment, but I have a psychologist who is my wife, who helps me a lot. I share my problems with her a lot and this communication helps a lot. I have a performance analyst before and after games to improve what is wrong and also to be even better at what is going well. This is my support network and my wife helps me a lot, my greatest psychologist.”
Brazil face Venezuela on Thursday evening, and then Uruguay. Good luck Murillo!
