Vinicius Junior has been tipped to become a future Real Madrid star after making his debut for the team’s Castilla team on Sunday.

Former Madrid midfielder Santiago Solari, now Castilla manager, gave Vinicius his first appearance in a 2-0 win over Las Palmas Atletico, then backed the 18-year-old to bring Madrid “a lot of happiness”.

“It’s not about what Vinicius can give to Castilla,” Solari said. “It’s about what the club, the institution, Castilla and the technical staff can give him to improve and to adapt because he will bring us a lot of happiness in the future.”

The Brazilian youngster linked up with Madrid this summer after agreeing to join the side last July, and featured heavily in preseason. However, manager Julen Lopetegui dropped him from the first team for the UEFA Super Cup tie against Atletico Madrid, and then the La Liga opener against Getafe.