Brazil teenage sensation Vinicius Junior will be welcome back at Real Madrid from international duty this Thursday, following the pacy winger impressive performances with his nation's Under-20 side.
Ahead of the Under-20s South American championship in Chile, Brazil organised two friendlies against the host nation, with both matches ending in a draw, first a 1-1 and then a 2-2.
There has been an issue of him not getting more playing time with the first team but he keeps turning out for the second tier side of Real Madrid. The 18-year-old started in the first game and played the last half an hour in the second and he was excellent, displaying leadership as well as his usual silky touches.
His performances will have acted as a message for Julen Lopetegui, with the teenager keen to earn more first-team playing time, following his two minutes against Atletico Madrid and his 10 minutes against Alaves.
Despite hardly playing so far, he remains patient for now and is pleased to have debuted.
"I have a calm head because I just arrived," he said. "I am happy with the group, which is really good, and I hope to train to be able to help the team.
"There was nothing better than being able to debut at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. "It's always good to play with the best in the world.
"Playing for Real Madrid is priceless. "It's a childhood dream that I always wanted to make happen.
"For now, my focus is on the Under-20s South American championship preparation.
"It has been really good to join with people from Brazil because we talk about football and live through experiences that every player needs."
With that youth tournament to be held between January 20 and February 13, the Real Madrid player knows he might miss some opportunities in club football in the near future.
As such, he wants to make the most of these next few months and returns to Spain determined to add to his 12 first-team minutes.

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