Vinicius Junior is developing at the base with the right coach.

In difficult times for Real Madrid, fans are looking for fresh force, a newcomer who can lead the team out of depression. For madridism, this is Vinicius Junior, the main character of a confident victory over the modest Melilla (4:0) in the Copa del Rey and the author of a turning point in the match with Valladolid (2:0).

Former Flamengo midfielder appeared in Madrid accompanied by his elder brother. Being away from parents is no longer a problem for Vinicius. For the sake of the Flamengo youth team, Junior had to move from the suburb of São Gonçal to Rio. Portao de Rosa is the area in which the football player grew up, a real hotbed of violence, theft and murder. However, the brave fellow, without thinking about the danger, ran with the ball through the streets in the favel, where the rules are the second most important group of drug traffickers in Brazil and the most powerful in Rio. Such an environment tempered his character. “Knowing where Vinisius came from, he will not be scared by a few blows and a couple of bites,” the club management stressed at the player’s presentation.

After the derby of the Real and Atletico youth teams, the Spanish media discussed not only the fantastic Brazilian game (2 goals), but also the shocking actions of the Atletico captain who tried to stop the virtuoso opponent in the style of Luis Suarez. After a bite to the head, Junior behaved with dignity, raised his thumb and smiled. What really hurt him was the death of his grandfather, a devoted Flamengo fan and his grandson. It's been 10 years, but for Vinicius it was a shock.

My grandfather would surely rejoice at the success of his grandson and move to Madrid. The player’s capital’s apartment is only 15 minutes from Real Madrid’s training base, which helps to concentrate fully on work. The excellent physical shape of an 18-year-old football player and the maturity he demonstrated struck everyone in Valdebebas. Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio, Thibaut Courtois and Nacho helped him to adapt faster. Casemiro and Marcelo actually took Junior under guardianship, finding their reflection in it. Both are Brazilians from very humble families. Childhood Casemiro, and all, passed in the poorest quarter of Sao Paulo. Marcelo, who also appeared in Real Madrid at the age of 18, literally became the father of Vinicius, who strictly followed the instructions and advice of the veteran team.

But if Barcelona was more insistent, now the Brazilian would have been with the leader of La LIga. The player had a preliminary agreement with the Catalans after speaking at the U-17 World Cup in Chile. But then he did not have a professional contract with Flamengo. The contract with the Brazilian club, signed later, suggested an amount of compensation of 45 million euros, which did not suit Barcelona. Real Madrid fulfilled all the conditions and paid 61 million, 8 million went to intermediaries, and the same amount to the player’s family.

Perhaps due to the lack of experience of the midfielder, former head coach Julen Lopetegui, in contrast to the management, decided that Vinicius would play in Castilla. “A young player, part of a team, is training with the base. When the opportunity arises, he will play in the first team, the rest of the time - in Castilla. He still needs to reach a state of readiness,” - the famous phrase of Lopetegui describes his intentions regarding the Brazilian.

The new head coach Santiago Solari, barely taking office, said: “Vinicius is a full-fledged player in the squad, he will always be in the team location, like the other players. He is still very young, but incredibly talented. He will have to learn a lot and go all out on the field. Both now and in the future.” Similar comments with different shades leave the impression that, with Solari, the Brazilian will play an important role.

For four months with the Basque coach Junior entered the field with the first team for only 12 minutes (two with Atletico and 10 with Alaves). Lopetegui made a mistake, fearing to put the stars on the bench, and did not see in Vinicius a breath of fresh air when everyone else lost heart. 12 minutes against 108 at Solari. Coming from the first minutes in the cup match with Melilla, Junior exhausted his opponent, scored an assists, struck several shots on target, his repeated bright connections broke the ovations of Real fans.

Guided by the terms of Lopetegui, Vinicius was “al diente” - the most striking along with Odriozola. We can say that Melilla is not the opponent, after which it is worth drawing conclusions, but the opponent was the same for everyone. Marco Asencio clearly lost against the Brazilian.

“This is my style. Confront a pair of defenders, be effective and go ahead. I am glad that I started the match in the first team and helped win. I will always remember this moment,” -said Vinicius in an interview with Fox Sports Brasil.

The Brazilian absorbs everything like a sponge and listens to the advice. Each time, possessing the ball, he does not try to pull the blanket over himself - on the contrary, he interacts with his partners. The meeting with Valladolid in La Liga until the 83rd minute seemed like a continuation of a lose-lose series, but it was the Junior’s turn that changed the course of the game. His appearance on the field gives rise to enthusiasm, positive vibrations, increases speed and leads to dangerous moments. Fans want to see him more often - if for this you need to put Gareth Bale on the bench, why not?

According to Solari, Vinicius only needs two things to succeed in Real: "Time ... and playing time." As for the second component with the Argentine specialist, you can not worry.