Teenager Endrick quickly proves his worth and gets chance to earn more minutes with Real Madrid

MADRID (AP) — When Endrick joined Real Madrid after turning 18, many questioned whether he could fit in with the main squad or if it would be better to send him out on loan or to the “B” team to gain experience.

Madrid decided to keep him close, and only a few matches into the season, the only doubt surrounding the Brazil forward is about when he will get a chance to earn a first start with Carlo Ancelotti’s first team.

Endrick has made the most of his minutes off the bench and quickly proved his worth, gaining the trust of his teammates and exciting fans who now want to see more of the young sensation.

He remains in a secondary role with a star-studded squad that includes already established forwards such as Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappé, but the Brazilian has put himself among the first in line to earn more chances.

And Endrick may get just that — and even his first start with the Spanish powerhouse — as Madrid begins a series of matches that could prompt Ancelotti to start rotating his squad more often.

The series will begin on Saturday with a match against Espanyol in the Spanish league, where Madrid is already four points behind Barcelona after a lackluster start. There will also be a few Champions League matches coming up, and it should be a matter of time before Endrick gets his opportunity.

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“He has this gift, which is very effective, and in training you can see that he has something special,” coach Ancelotti said. “He’s very effective, with a very strong and very quick shot. He has proved to be very brave in all senses of the word.”

Endrick impressed Ancelotti and his teammates with a stoppage-time goal against Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday, when he decided to deliver a long-range shot instead of taking advantage of a breakaway with Mbappé and Vinícius by his side.

“He had courage because the best approach was to take advantage of the three-on-one situation, but he was confident of scoring and he did that very well because the ultimate goal is to score,” Ancelotti said. “It was the most difficult option. He’s capable of doing things that nobody can think of. Nobody thought he’d be able to shoot in that situation.”

That goal in a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu made Endrick the youngest Champions League scorer for Madrid, surpassing former great Raúl González. He gained points with the fans when he approached them by going behind the net during his celebration.

“Nice to meet you. Endrick,” the Brazilian wrote on Instagram later.

Endrick needed only 10 minutes to make an impression on his Spanish league debut against Valladolid last month, registering a late goal as a substitute to become the youngest foreign player to score for Madrid in the competition. He played in four other matches after that, every time coming off the bench.

Endrick, who a few days ago announced he got married, was only 16 when he was sold to Madrid by Brazilian club Palmeiras for more than 40 million euros (about $45 million), plus add-ons, in 2022, but had to wait until he turned 18 before he could start playing for the team.

Leader Barcelona visits Villarreal

League leader Barcelona will try to extend its perfect record to 6-0 when it visits fourth-place Villarreal on Sunday. Villarreal is one of three teams four points behind the Catalan club, along with Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Atletico visits Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer