Milan’s January planning has brought Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa into view, a name already weighted by the distance he has travelled rather than simply by his age. The Brazilian forward, born just 12 days after Italy lifted the World Cup in Berlin in 2006, is now 20 and has been included among the players the Rossoneri admire as they consider possible options for the winter window.
His route to Real Madrid was anything but straightforward. Endrick was born in Taguatinga, around 20 kilometres from Brasilia, and spent his early years playing on streets and concrete pitches, often without boots. Before he was born, his father Douglas had hoped to name him Di Stefano, after the great Real Madrid figure. His mother rejected the idea, believing such a name would place too much expectation on the child. Endrick later reflected that his connection with Madrid may have begun even before his birth.
The family lived through more serious difficulties than the usual story of a gifted boy breaking through. When Endrick was 11, Douglas left in an attempt to establish himself as a professional footballer with smaller clubs in Brasilia. With his mother unemployed and the family without a home, Endrick and his siblings spent six months in an orphanage in Sao Paulo. His parents subsequently found work at a bar inside the city’s metro system, before Douglas became a cleaner at Palmeiras.
Endrick has spoken about the sacrifices behind his rise. He said that he had not personally gone hungry, but that his parents had endured hunger for him, an experience that gave him the determination not to see them suffer again.
His father also understood that talent needed a route beyond local football. Douglas filmed Endrick’s goals and individual moments in youth tournaments, uploading compilations to YouTube. The clips reached major South American clubs, including Palmeiras, who brought him into their academy in 2016 when he was 10. Douglas accepted the cleaning job at the club so that his son could continue his development there.
An Italian connection in Endrick’s story
Cristiano Ronaldo has long been Endrick’s principal footballing idol, but Italy has also featured in his imagination. In an earlier interview, he said his affection for Inter came from the club’s association with Ronaldo Nazario and Adriano. He also singled out Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali for the commitment they show on the pitch, describing Tonali’s early experience as Milan captain as particularly striking. At that point, Endrick had never visited Italy; a Milan move would give that old admiration a more immediate meaning.
There is also a glimpse of the character that has accompanied his rapid ascent. In May 2024, while still playing for Palmeiras before leaving for Europe, Endrick scored the third goal in a Copa Libertadores match against Liverpool of Montevideo. He celebrated by beating his chest in a King Kong-style gesture, which angered the opposition and contributed to a confrontation on the field.
He later insisted there had been no intention to provoke anyone. The celebration, he explained, came from his affection for the Planet of the Apes films: he imitates a monkey because he enjoys doing it, and because his own happiness matters to him. For Milan, the question is not merely whether a young Brazilian talent may become available in January, but whether another significant chapter of Endrick’s unusually formed career can be written in Serie A.
