Former left-back Roberto Carlos has warned fans not to place too much pressure on Vinicius Junior this season but is convinced the Brazilian teenager has all the qualities to become a future Real Madrid superstar.
Vinicius, 18, completed his €40m move in July after the attacking midfielder rose to prominence at boyhood side Flamengo.
The Brazilian showed glimpses of his potential when he made his debut in a pre-season fixture against Manchester United. But, Vinicius has since made only two competitive outings from the substitutes bench under Julen Lopetegui.
However, compatriot Carlos has still been impressed with what he has seen so far and is expecting the youngster to go on and play a big role this term.
“He has had a tremendous time at Flamengo when he was playing as a kid,” Carlos told Sport360 on Saturday after speaking about the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE.
“He’s now got a lot of experience at Real Madrid. At the club, it would appear he would be ready to play in the first-team but now he’s getting transitioned from the youth sides and above. For sure, he will be showing that great promise that we will all be seeing in a few years time.”
Los Blancos legend: Roberto Carlos.
Meanwhile, one of Carlos’ former team-mates Zinedine Zidane, is seeking a new challenge after leaving the Bernabeu in May following an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League title.
The Frenchman has been strongly touted as the man to replace Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, should the Portuguese boss get the sack.
While Carlos said it was unfair to talk about the possibility of Zidane in charge of the English side, he is confident whichever club hires Zizou will be ‘very lucky’.
“It is very hard about a coach leaving the team right now as Jose Mourinho is still the coach and it’s very hard for me to speak about him going there,” he added. “Either way, Zinedine Zidane is a great coach and whichever team he goes to and coaches, they will be very lucky.”