IN Estêvão’s first start as a senior player he attacked the space at the far post to score a goal.
The opponents were a tiny team from Uruguay called Liverpool.
The depth of his talent, and the strength of his personality were so evident that one thing already seemed clear – it would not be too long before he would be doing something similar against a rather bigger club of the same name.
And so it came to pass. The 18-year-old’s first goal for Chelsea was a far-post match-winner against Arne Slot’s reds, confirming the love that was already coming his way from the stands at Stamford Bridge.
And there is plenty of love, too, from a former Chelsea coach.
Carlo Ancelotti, of course, is now in charge of Brazil, and clearly has a high regard for the young winger.
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Estêvão had played a few games off the bench, but his first start for Brazil came in Ancelotti’s debut, the visit to Ecuador last June.
The goals have been flowing with the national team – one against Chile last month and a pair in a highly impressive 5-0 demolition of South Korea earlier this month.
At this point, eight months away from the big kick off, it would seem that Estêvão will be more important than the ever injured Neymar to Brazil’s bid to win the 2026 World Cup – which shows just how quickly his career is moving.
The comparison with Neymar is interesting. Almost exactly two years after suffering a serious injury on Brazil duty, Neymar’s comeback has yet to catch fire.
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A muscular problem or two was to be expected after such a long recovery, but so far with Santos, it has been a case of one injury after another.
And when he has played, the end product has been disappointing – some wonderfully struck set pieces and the occasional defence-splitting pass, but little sign of one of the most elusive dribblers of recent times.
Even so, Neymar remains very popular with other Brazilian players, many of whom grew up with him as their idol.
As well as inspiration, though, the career of Neymar also serves as a warning.
The charges – too petulant, a style of play too dependent on attracting fouls, too easy to go to the floor, too concerned with off-the-field celebrity lifestyle.
Some of the people behind Brazil’s fresh talents – and these days they all come with a sizable back up staff – have been anxious to ensure that these excesses are not repeated by the new generation. Estêvão is a case in point.
He would seem to be living up to his billing as the most exciting talent to come out of Brazil since Neymar. And he can move with extra fluidity because he is not carrying any of Neymar’s baggage.
Marked man
In his short time in Brazilian football, he was often praised for staying on his feet when others would be looking for the foul.
It will be interesting to see if he can keep this up – he is fast becoming a marked man, and in the Premier League he will need to come up with a survival strategy.
But however he develops, there has – so far, at least – been no sign of the type of spoiled brat petulance that many find so annoying about Neymar.
On and off the field, an image is being constructed of a humble, down-to-earth kid who goes about his football with a shy smile.
This will be tested. There is no hiding place on the field. And as adolescent turns into man, he will change and grow over time in ways that cannot yet be predicted.
We will inevitably find out much more about the young man behind the talent – and Premier League fans should consider themselves very lucky to be witnessing all of this at close range.
If there was one thing missing from England’s top flight, it was the absence of a genuine, top drawer Brazilian superstar.
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The wait would seem to be over.
Make way for Estêvão, buckle up and enjoy the ride.
