Fulham’s Kevin believes his first season in the Premier League has put him on the right path towards another major ambition – playing for Brazil.
The 23-year-old has now completed his first campaign at Craven Cottage and spoke at length to Globo Esporte about life in England.
Kevin wants to be involved when Brazil begin their new cycle following the World Cup. He believes staying at a good level with Fulham could put him in contention very soon.
“I really believe that in the next cycle I can be with the Brazilian national team, starting with the first call-ups after the World Cup,” he said.
“I believe that by maintaining a good level and improving on what I’m already showing, I can be called up.”
Kevin played 31 times for Fulham last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists. He knows those numbers need to improve if he wants to compete for a place in Brazil’s attack.
“I think I really need to improve the numbers, add to the good performances and improve the numbers, goals and assists,” he explained. “Then, consequently, the call-ups will come.”
Fulham winger is “living a dream” in England
His international ambitions are closely connected to his experience at Fulham. Kevin grew up watching English football and makes no attempt to hide how much playing in the Premier League means to him.
“I think the Premier League is a dream that I’m living as a player,” he said. “I always watched a lot of Premier League games when I was younger. Being able to play here today is very rewarding for me.
“It’s also a league that involves a lot of strength, where every game is very difficult to play. There are no easy games.”
That first season has also forced Kevin to adjust his game. He sees a clear difference between Fulham and his experiences at Palmeiras and Shakhtar Donetsk.
At those clubs, he was accustomed to playing for teams which generally controlled possession and attacked more. English football has given him a different challenge.
“At Palmeiras and Shakhtar, because we controlled the games more, we attacked more,” Kevin explained. “Now, the Premier League isn’t like that. One team attacks, the other defends, all the time. The game is about transitions. I think that changed things a lot.”
Biggest change since leaving Brazil
The winger doesn’t believe his biggest development has necessarily been technical. Kevin already had pace and the ability to beat opponents before arriving at Fulham. He has tried to retain those qualities while becoming a more complete player.
For him, the biggest change has happened in his head.
“What really changed was more my mentality. I’ve been improving things,” he said. “I try not to lose the things I already had, because I already had speed and dribbling. I’ve just been improving them.”
“And today what has changed most in me is really my mentality. I’ve been able to understand the game more, understand what the game demands and also what the manager demands.”
That tactical education could be particularly important given the competition Kevin faces for a place with Brazil.
He believes his own profile can help him stand out. Dribbling remains an important part of his football, although he also points to his physical strength.
“I think my style of play helps me a lot nowadays,” he said. “Despite being light and liking to dribble, I’m also a strong player. I think that’s very difficult nowadays in football, because it’s a more studied game, a game that’s more established by the coaches.”
Praise from Palmer and Cunha
There have also been some slightly surreal moments during Kevin’s first year at Fulham. Playing in the Premier League has put him alongside footballers he previously watched from a distance.
Some of them have already gone out of their way to compliment him.
“There were games when they came to talk to me afterwards, praised me, and I didn’t know what to say,” Kevin revealed.
“There was a Chelsea game when Palmer came to talk to me. Matheus Cunha came to talk to me after a game I played as well.”
For a player still relatively early in his career, those conversations have made an impression.
“It’s really nice for us younger players when that happens because sometimes we’re starting our careers and we’re already seeing a guy who’s more established, more recognised, talking about you and praising you.”
Kevin now wants to turn that progress into better numbers during his second season at Fulham.
Do that, and the 23-year-old believes the next step can be Brazil – perhaps alongside some of the old Palmeiras friends he already knows so well.
